Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

    BAGHDAD, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki flew to Kuwait on Monday morning to attend Iraq neighbors meeting, the PM office said in a statement.

    Maliki is leading a delegation of top officials, including Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Minister of State for National Security Shirwan al-Waili, the office said.

    The conference of the Iraq's neighboring countries is slated for Tuesday in the capital of Kuwait to discuss the security situation in Iraq.

    The attendants of the meeting are expected to come from Egypt, Gulf Cooperation Council members, the G8 countries, five UN Security Council permanent members, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference in addition to Iraq's neighboring countries.

    The conference is the third of its kind after similar meetings held in Egypt in May and in Turkey in November 2007.

    U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who paid a surprise visit to Baghdad on Sunday, is expected to urge the Arab states to boost their diplomatic ties with the Iraqi Shiite-dominated government to counter the mounting influence of Shiite Iran on Iraq.