Stockholm hosts Int'l. Conference on Iraq

The red carpet rolled today in Infracity in Stockholm to welcome major political actors in an international conference on the reconstruction of war-torn Iraq. It is the biggest political event that Stockholm has taken on since a long time. Helping to put back Iraq on its feet has become a pressing world concern.

But not all agrees in Stockholm's hosting of the Iraq conference because critics say it legitimizes the war that the United States started and for which reconstruction and the problem of refugees that staggers Europe should be undertaken more by the US. The Swedish media reported positively on the Swedish government's decision to host the conference, even if it is clear that Washington has the greater responsibility especially in relation to refugee reception. Dagens Nyheter's editorial today says that, it is not reasonable that Europe should take on more responsibility for accommodating refugees than USA itself.

However, the editorial adds that it would be short-sighted to lay the burden mainly on the US. One has to accept two considerations: that USA's invasion of Iraq was wrong but the world has an important role to play in its reconstruction. Even if the state of violence has tapered down, the risk for escalation of conflict looms in the horizon. A devastated Iraq has repercussions on the stability of the region which does not lie in any one's interest.

It is reported that the international conference will not take up the issue of invasion but focus more on the future. It does not benefit anyone to dwell on the morality of why US invaded Iraq. After the US elections on November, it is expected that the Iraq issue will be treated differently in matters of foreign policy.

The conference is actually chaired by the United Nations in close collaboration with the government of Iraq. The major political actors that have arrived in Stockholm are US. Foreign Minister Condoleeza Rice, UN's General-Secretary Ban Ki Moon, the UN representative to Iraq and Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Iran and Great Britain.

While the conference has placed Stockholm and the Coalition government in the limelight, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is going to need a good balancing position in order not be seen as supporter of US Pres.Bush. Sweden has no ambition to play a big role in the conflict-ridden issue on how the UN and the international community will handle the conflict management and democratization of the Iraq. Stockholm hosted the conference as a neutral country upon the admonition of UN and the Iraq government.#