Economics
Lebanon, Iraq Will Not Attend Bahrain Conference on Palestinian Economy
Lebanon and Iraq will not participate in this month’s conference in Bahrain set to tackle the Palestinian economy as part of the United States’ yet to be unveiled “deal of the century” peace plan. An Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman said his government will stay away from the conference expected to take place on June 25 -26. The White House said it will reveal the first phase of its peace plan at the conference, saying it will focus on economic benefits that could be reaped if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved. Palestinian officials have said the plan ignores the Palestinian people's aspirations for an independent state. Ahmad Sahhaf, the Iraqi spokesman, told The Associated Press Wednesday that the rights of the Palestinian people "must be protected."



