Egypt: No Miracles at Iraq Conference

[Barrett808]

Egypt: No Miracles at Iraq Conference
Wed Oct 13, 4:29 PM ET

PARIS - Egypt plans to issue invitations next week for an international conference on Iraq, but does not expect it to produce "miracles" for the war-torn nation, a leading adviser to President Hosni Mubarak said Wednesday.

Osama el-Baz, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between Mubarak and French President Jacques Chirac, said the conference is designed to focus on ways of withdrawing foreign troops and helping Iraq rebuild.

"That is the beginning of a serious process," el-Baz told The Associated Press. "We don't expect miracles right away, because such things usually take time."

"It's high time for us to enable Iraq to hold together," he said. Egypt will send out formal invitations for the conference "in a week's time — more or less."

The conference, requested by Iraq and supported by the United States, would take place late next month. The exact date and location in Egypt have not been finalized.

(more)

By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press Writer
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=ap/egypt_iraq