Conference on Political Reform Is Delayed

Egypt said it was putting off a U.S.-backed conference to discuss plans for political reform in the Middle East, apparently because of a dispute over the detention of a prominent opposition leader.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the conference scheduled for March 3 would be postponed indefinitely.

Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the move was linked to tension in U.S.-Egyptian relations over the Jan. 29 arrest of Ayman Nour, leader of the Al Ghad Party. Human rights groups have criticized the detention of Nour, saying the government was clamping down on its opponents.