Islamic group ready to accept Iraq

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - The world's largest Islamic organization settled differences Tuesday and prepared a statement that would give Iraq's U.S.-picked government recognition from some of the harshest critics of the U.S.-led invasion.

But divisions remained over whether Islamic countries should send peacekeepers to Iraq.

The breakthrough, reached by foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, came as the United States pushed to win U.N. Security Council approval for a revised resolution that would steer Iraq from American-led occupation to elected civilian rule.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar of Malaysia, which initially sought to exclude the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council from this week's OIC meetings, said at the conclusion of two days of deliberations with fellow Islamic foreign ministers that the OIC had accepted the council as Iraq's representative.

A draft statement the ministers will recommend their leaders adopt when they meet Thursday and Friday offers the council endorsement by saying the OIC "welcomes the establishment of an interim government and the appointment of Iraqi ministers as a forward step to the restoration of the government of Iraq."

The OIC's members represent more than 1-billion Muslims.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright