US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday that the United States strongly supports the idea of an Iraq conference on organizing elections for the embattled country and he looks forward to taking part in the conference himself.

"The conference that the Iraqi interim government wants to holdis something that we strongly support, and it is an idea that (Iraqi) Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has been discussing with his neighbors and with us for some period of time," Powell said at a media briefing with visiting Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Jamil al-Muasher.

"It would be a conference held in the region with all of Iraq'sneighbors, the G-8, and representatives of the Arab League and theOrganization of the Islamic Conference, and perhaps some others," Powell said.

Powell said the dates of the conference are being examined and he hopes it will be held "in the not too distant future," adding that the specific date will be announced by the Iraqi interim government.

"I look forward to personally participating in the conference,"Powell said.

Powell made public with the idea of such a conference on Sundayamid mounting skepticism that whether Iraq's security situation inIraq would permit nationwide elections to go ahead as scheduled inJanuary.

Source: Xinhua