JEDDAH, July 1: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived on Saturday in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, his first stop on a Gulf tour to rally regional support for his peace plan.

Top Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, greeted him at the airport, the official SPA news agency reported.

Mr Maliki’s tour — his first overseas trip since taking over as premier in May — would also take him to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait to discuss with Arab leaders his national reconciliation plan, Iraqi Minister of State for National Dialogue Akram al-Hakim said.

Mr Maliki unveiled the plan last Sunday in a bid to stem the violence that has ravaged Iraq. But the plan has been rejected by a number of Sunni Arab leaders and rebel groups.

The Shia prime minister apparently wants to enlist the help of Gulf leaders, many of whom retain influence with Iraq’s disenchanted Sunni former elite.

Mr Maliki has said the amnesty offered in the plan would only cover detainees held in US and Iraqi prisons who had committed no violent crimes, and stressed there would be no pardon for those who killed foreign troops, journalists or innocent Iraqis.

More than 2,500 detainees have been freed this month from US and Iraqi prisons as part of the plan.

US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad visited Jeddah on Tuesday and met King Abdullah and other Saudi leaders.—AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.