Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Baghdad Insists Syria Hand Over Wanted Individuals | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Iraqi Government has asserted through its official Spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh that it will not accept from Syria anything less than the extradition of the wanted individuals. He asserted in statements to Asharq al-Awsat that Turkish mediator Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who arrived in Damascus the day before yesterday was handed irrefutable evidence of the parties involved in the violent acts in his country from inside Syria.

Al-Dabbagh said “the stand of Baghdad is clear and does not aim to make the atmospheres and relations with Syria tense as much as to find an effective and binding mechanism for everyone to shoulder their responsibilities in maintaining security in the region.” He stressed that the Iraqi Government would continue to pursue the Baathist leader Mahmud Yunus al-Ahmad and all the others wanted by the judiciary in whatever country they are because they are wanted internationally and accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He added: “We heard that Syria is trying to eject them to another country but we will pursue them wherever they are.” He asserted that “there are UN Security Council resolutions and also the meetings of Iraq and neighboring countries that unite everyone to fight terror and it is important for Syria to comply with these resolutions and stop the activities of groups that are not classified political but are killing and destroying the Iraqis. This is unacceptable in international legitimacy.”

Al-Dabbagh went on to stress that “Iraq does not accept anything less than the extradition of the wanted persons from Syria and the expulsion of the groups based in Syria that are actively supporting terror in Iraq.” Regarding the Syrian Government’s demands for evidence, the Iraqi spokesman said: “We gave the Turkish mediator irrefutable evidence and he listened to the details of the activities of these groups operating from Syria.” He pointed out that the Iraqi Government “reminded the Turkish mediator of the crisis caused by the presence of Abdullah Ocalan in Syrian territories and how it was resolved and we now have large numbers which we view in the same way and many of them are also wanted by Interpol.”

On the ongoing mediations, he said “it is in the two countries’ interest to contain this crisis through the good neighborliness mechanism. We are hoping that the Syrian side will meet the ethical Iraqi demands as an alternative to going to the International Criminal Court.” He added: “No country in the world can accept the presence of groups accused of terror operating from neighboring countries. Most of these cases were resolved by armed conflict but we in Iraq lean toward cordial and ethical solutions that are legitimate in the international norms.” He pointed out that some in Syria believe that these groups can be wagered on against Iraq and said: “We realize that there are some in Syria who believe that these remnants that are active against Iraq from Syria can be wagered on and are therefore providing them with the logistical support and also a satellite channel which teaches people how to make bombs and mines. This is an unacceptable behavior. Will the Syrian Government accept it if we provide its opponents with these facilities. This wagering on these groups is an illusion and is the basis of the problem.”