Convention of Iraqis Pushed Back 2 Weeks

Organizers Will Seek Wider Participation

BAGHDAD, July 29 -- Iraq on Thursday postponed a political convention regarded as a key step toward democracy, as Iraqis reeling from the latest grisly bombing bemoaned their government's inability to end kidnappings and violence.

Preparations for the convention, which was to gather 1,000 delegates Saturday to choose a national assembly, stalled after accusations that the selection process was chaotic and unfair. "The Iraqi people really do not know what is going on in this conference," complained Jawad Maliki, a spokesman for the Dawa party, a prominent Shiite Muslim organization.

Organizers of the event said they had postponed the meeting for two weeks at the request of the United Nations. Just two days ago, Iraqi officials had vowed they would start the conference by the end of July to meet a deadline set by the outgoing American occupation authority and to dispel any suspicions that national elections scheduled for January would not take place on time.

The delay came as the continuing violence brought an appeal from the prime minister for help from the outside.

Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, meeting with Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and with officials in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, endorsed a plan to gather security forces from Muslim countries to help stop the violence in Iraq and urged Islamic countries to "stand as one group" against terrorists.

The violence continued Thursday, as kidnappers holding seven foreign drivers -- three Indians, three Kenyans and an Egyptian -- threatened to kill one Friday unless their employer stopped work in Iraq. The driver was shown in a videotape, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and kneeling with a gun to his head.

Five new kidnap victims -- four Jordanians and a Somali -- were shown in videotapes aired Thursday.

Military authorities, meanwhile, announced the deaths of a 1st Infantry Division soldier whose patrol came under fire Thursday in Hawija, north of Baghdad, and of two U.S. Marines and a Polish soldier killed Wednesday in fighting in western Iraq.

Iraqis interviewed on the street expressed disappointment that the interim government, which took office June 28, had been unable to stop attacks such as the suicide bombing Wednesday in Baqubah that killed 70 Iraqis. The same day, fighting south of Baghdad left nearly 40 dead, and kidnappers announced the execution of two Pakistani hostages.

"God cries over what happened yesterday, and the army and police cannot stop it," said Edris Khader, 34, making aluminum doors in a small shop in Baghdad.

Officials defended the government's record.

"From Day One, we said this thing will take some time," Sabah Kadhim, a senior adviser for the Interior Ministry, in charge of police, said in an interview. "We cannot imagine we will take care of this problem in a month. Six months is not enough."

"I am sure these bombings and kidnappings will continue," acknowledged Georges Sada, the prime minister's spokesman. But he said the growing strength of Iraqi security forces had forced opponents to stop direct confrontations and change tactics to kidnappings and car bombings.

"For sure, it's a cowardly tactic. They have changed because they have no more chance to oppose our forces," he said.