SUMMARY PRESS REPORTS
ON THE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO THE OIC
IRAQ
INITIATIVE
30 October 2006
Ambassador David Satterfield: Update on Iraq
Monday,
30
October 2006,
10:27
am
Press Release: US State Department
Update on
Iraq
Ambassador David Satterfield, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State
and Coordinator for Iraq
Foreign Press Center briefing
Washington, DC
October 26, 2006
QUESTION: Talha Musa from Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
…And
my second question: How do you evaluate the Mecca declaration between
Sunni and Shiite in Iraq? Thank you.
AMBASSADOR SATTERFIELD:
…On
the issue of the Mecca declaration, we think that the gathering
together in Mecca under OIC sponsorship was an extremely important
step. And we are very appreciative both to Saudi Government officials
and to the Organization of the Islamic Conference leadership for
helping make this possible. It's important that as many messages of
reconciliation as possible be sent to the Iraqi people; that it be
made as clear as possible that there is no legitimate violence against
innocent Iraqis; that there is no excuse or justification for the
killings of innocents, no matter from what source. And this was an
important step in that process and we see it as a part of process,
both on the political and on the religious side of addressing the
question of how do you get to a peaceful Iraq. How do you bring
sectarian violence to an end? How do you bring about ultimately an end
to the presence of armed groups, militias, armed gangs that are
responsible for so much of this violence?
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