Iraq's diplomatic isolation among its Arab neighbors is easing, reports the BBC. The United Arab Emirates canceled Iraq's entire debt of close to $7 billion and appointed a new ambassador, while Jordan's King Abdullah will become the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since 2003, boosting the Baghdad government's standing in the region.
Correspondents in the region say Iraq's Sunni neighbors have been unwilling to establish close ties with Iraq's mainly Shia government. But the US has been pushing its Arab allies to bolster the government of Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. (More Iraq stories.)