CONFERENCE ON IRAQ'S FUTURE

Claire Marshallová z Iráku: The invited delegates were patted down and searched carefully by US soldiers as they made their way through the tight security cordon around the conference centre. Several hundred people have come here, both from within Iraq and from abroad including the United States and Britain. These are the so-called engaging personalities, which the US believes could potentially turn into future leaders. They include tribal chiefs and other prominent figures. The idea of the conference is to exchange views on the possible shape of a future Iraqi government. Some religious groups are boycotting the event, but one delegate told the BBC that it was vital to work with the Americans for the time being to get Iraq up and running again. VOCABULARYpatted down - od hlavy až k patě proklepat the tight security cordon - bezpečnostní kordon engaging personalities - lidé s osobností, příjemní a šarmantníso-called - naznačujete názor, aniž byste ho sami vyjádřili či podpořili to get Iraq up and running - postavit Irák na vlastní nohy