KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 28 (UPI) -- Arab foreign ministers met Tuesday to consider a resolution to boost their presence in Iraq in part to stave off Iran's increasing influence, a report said.
The resolution came in the wake of criticism by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who said Arab nations failed to support Iraq and forgive billions of dollars in debt.
"Why are you complaining about the Iranian role in Iraq when the Iranians are there and you are not?" Zebari said, according to The New York Times.
"We have been asking for you to play a role for the past three years and you have not responded," he said.
Arab nations have had minimal staff in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and less so since last July's kidnapping of two Algerian diplomats and an Egyptian envoy.
Also in the two-day meeting, Arab leaders were to consider positions on Iran's nuclear program, the Hamas-led Palestinian government, tensions between Lebanon and Syria, and conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan, the newspaper reported.
