Iraq's neighbors call for support against its militias

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A meeting of Iraq's neighbors has opened in Kuwait with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki trying to persuade Arab states that his country has "passed the crisis" and is much better off than it was a year ago. Al-Maliki told delegates at the conference's opening Tuesday that Iraq "has entered a new phase" and has "prevailed over factional disputes." A copy of the conference's draft resolution obtained by The Associated Press calls for increased help from Iraq's neighbors in fighting militias and "assistance in solving the issue of Iraqi debts." Iraq's Arab neighbors, however, have made similar pledges at two previous such meetings in the past year, with little follow-through.