Rice: Countries "boycotting" Saddam trial
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-14 08:38

BETTER NEIGHBORS

Rice also said despite growing international support for rebuilding Iraq, more needed to be done, especially by Iraq's Arab neighbors.

"Many nations especially Japan and South Korea have distinguished themselves with their generosity but others like Iraq's neighbors should be doing a lot more," said Rice.

She targeted Syria and Iran, which she called "no friends of Iraq" and accused Damascus of not doing enough to stop the flow of insurgents across the border into Iraq.

"And Iran continues to meddle in Iraqi affairs and to support violence in Iraqi society," she said.

At a 2003 donors conference in Madrid, about 40 countries and international institutions pledged more than $13 billion to help Iraq and Rice said it was now time to deliver all of that aid to the Iraqi people.

Rice said there was a growing consensus of support for Iraq which had not been present in the early days after the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

In the months ahead, she said the size and shape of U.S. and other forces would "evolve" as Iraqi security forces became more competent, with some nations reducing the number of troops and others extending their mandates.

More than 2,000 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq. Coalition members had lost nearly 200 soldiers while 500 have been wounded, said Rice.

US President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that about 30,000 Iraqis have also died since the U.S. invasion in 2003.

Rice's speech to the Heritage Foundation followed several made by Bush about Iraq in the run-up to this week's election. Bush was due to give his fourth and last speech on Wednesday.