Baghdad - An internet statement attributed to the al-Qaeda-
linked Sunni group Islamic State of Iraq called the international
conference held in Baghdad on Saturday 'part of a conspiracy.'
The group said that the purpose of the meeting was for the United
States, which is leading the coalition forces in Iraq, to 'save
face.'
'And so the new conspiracy started in order to save the American
mister, to save his face,' read the statement issued on Sunday
afternoon. 'And the title (of this so-called conspiracy) is national
reconciliation.'
The one-day Baghdad conference on the future of Iraq's security
had featured representation from the US, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Syria, Iran and Egypt as well as representatives from
the Arab League and the five permanent UN Security Council members.
The government had intended the conference to be a show of support
for Nuri al-Maliki's Shiite-led cabinet and its programme for
national reconciliation.
The high-profile meeting was also hoped to pave the way for
dialogue between the US and the countries in the region, especially
Iraq's neighbours who could play a significant role in stabilizing
the violence-marred country.
However, according to the Islamist group, neighbouring and Arab
countries met at the Baghdad conference to allegedly 'find a decent
exit for the armies of the cross out of the crisis that they're
living; an exit that will save face (for the forces) in front of the
entire world.'
The heated statement also sent a message to 'those who are
convened' in Iraq, that 'our battles are not only to drive the
occupier out, but also to maintain the national unity.'
It added: 'Our fighting is a legitimate demand. It is jihad
(holy battle) to raise the word of God.'
The Islamic State of Iraq group was established in 2006 with the
aim of protecting 'the Sunni Iraqi people and defending Islam.'
The group, which follows the extremist ideology of al-Qaeda,
includes a variety of insurgency groups claiming to be represented
across Iraq. It is headed by al-Baghdadi, who calls himself 'Emir of
the Believers.'
The group aims to establish a caliphate in the Sunni Arab-
dominated regions of Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq and its allies
are strongest in the Anbar and Diyala provinces.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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