Syria is relatively hopeful an international meeting aimed at stabilising Iraq will succeed, but much depends on the attitude of the US, Vice-President Farouq al-Shara was quoted yesterday as saying.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, in hospital in Jordan suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, will be discharged in two or three days, Baghdad’s ambassador in Amman said yesterday.

BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces yesterday launched a mission to kill or capture the Al Qaeda insurgents who kidnapped 14 policemen, slit their throats and then boasted about it on the Internet.