Jordan postpones Iraqi Islamic reconciliation conference

The Jordanian government announced on Thursday that an Iraqi Islamic reconciliation conference scheduled on Saturday here has been delayed according to a demand from the Iraqi government.

Jordanian government spokesman for the conference Abdul-Salam Abbadi said that the decision was made after Iraqi President Jalal Talabani called Jordan's King Abdullah II to ask for the delay.

The meeting, which was originally due to be held in the Jordanian capital, is aimed at emphasizing Iraq's unity and avoiding further escalation that could lead to sectarian strife, according to the spokesman.

The postponement of the Amman meeting coincided with a delay of an Iraqi parliament session, which was earlier set for Monday but now postponed till Saturday.

Iraqi leaders are still bargaining over who should head the next government as embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari is reluctant to step down for a second term.

Jaafari on Thursday backed off from his insistence on heading the next government, saying it was up to his Shiite alliance to make the final decision.

Source: Xinhua