Sharm El Sheikh On Iraq T

Baghdad Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic — government-sponsored television station, run by the Iraqi Media Network — and Baghdad Al-Sharqiyah Television in Arabic — independent, private news and entertainment channel focusing on Iraq, run by Sa’d al-Bazzaz, publisher of the Arabic-language daily Al-Zaman — between 1300-2100 GMT on 4 May are observed to cover events and developments regarding the Sharm al-Shaykh regional and international conference on Iraq as follows: Al-Iraqiyah TV . . .:

–During its 1400 GMT newscast, Al-Iraqiyah reports that the expanded conference of Iraq’s neighboring countries has commended the Iraqi Government for its commitment to protecting the Iraqi people, as evidenced by its efforts to confront terrorism.
The conference participants, the report adds, stressed their full support for the efforts of the Iraqi Government to achieve the goals and aspirations of the Iraqi people. The statement highlighted the need for helping the Iraqi Government build the Iraqi defense and security forces.

–On Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s speech at the conference, an Al-Iraqiyah anchorwoman cites Al-Maliki as saying that the return of stability to Iraq has become “inevitable” following “the resounding success” achieved by the Law Enforcement Plan in Baghdad.

Immediately afterward, the Al-Iraqiyah anchorwoman reports that Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa has stressed his support for the national reconciliation which Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced. Musa, the report adds, has urged the international community to support Iraq.
Further reporting on the Sharm al-Shaykh conference, Al-Iraqiyah reports that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on the international community to help the Iraqi Government achieve security in Iraq. . .

Al-Sharqiyah TV:

–At 1300-1309 GMT, Al-Sharqiyah continues to carry live from Sharm al-Shaykh a news conference by Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki. Immediately afterward, the channel carries the following reports as part of its 1300 GMT newscast:

–“The work of the ministerial conference on Iraq, which brought together Iraq’s neighboring countries, Egypt, Bahrain, the UN secretary general, and representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council and the big industrialized nations, in addition to representatives of several international organizations, has been concluded in Sharm al-Shaykh. The conference issued a final communique backing the steps taken by the Iraqi Government and the Council of Representatives to achieve national reconciliation and bring the views of the various segments of the Iraqi people closer. Besides, the communique called for helping the Iraqi Government build the Armed Forces and police services on national basis, away from sectarian or ethnic affiliations. It also called for helping the Iraqi Government put an end to internal fighting and what the communique called terrorist operations.

Iraqi FM Zebari and Egyptian FM Abu-al-Ghayt Addressing a Joint News

Conference

“At a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Abu-al-Ghayt, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said that the final communique did not touch on the setting of timetables for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq. He noted that such a thing is contingent upon an agreement between the Iraqi Government and the Security Council. Nonetheless, Abu-al-Ghayt affirmed that the conference decided to look into the issue of the withdrawal of foreign troops when armed forces based on national considerations are built.”

–“The United States has ridiculed Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki’s hasty walkout from a dinner banquet which was attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Sharm al-Shaykh yesterday, Thursday, evening. Mottaki suddenly walked out of the banquet, which was hosted by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu-al-Ghayt, expressing dissatisfaction with the clothing of a female Russian violinist who was putting on a red dress while playing at the banquet, as related by members of the US delegation.”