As part of the intense Arab efforts to contain the Iraqi crisis, Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam and Foreign Minister Farouq Al-Shara arrived in Cairo for a brief visit focused on discussing the crisis and the peace process. During their visit, they were scheduled to meet with President Hosni Mubarak. On another front, Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani held a press conference in Doha yesterday evening to clarify the outcomes of his mission in Baghdad, which seemingly yielded no significant results. The Qatari minister refrained from definitively stating the success or failure of his mission, expressing hope instead that the upcoming visit of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Baghdad would succeed in finding a diplomatic solution.
When asked about his optimism regarding the success of a diplomatic solution, the Qatari minister cautiously acknowledged a glimmer of hope but refrained from excessive optimism. He also raised the question of whether the Iraqi leadership would respond to the explanations provided to them. The minister reiterated Qatar’s position, emphasizing the necessity for Iraq to respect United Nations resolutions. Additionally, the Iraqi ambassador to Doha, who accompanied the minister on his trip to Baghdad, expressed strong optimism about achieving a diplomatic solution through the concerted efforts of all relevant parties, particularly the Gulf countries and the United Nations.
