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Iraq's Foreign Minister Confirms Support
for New US Strategy
15.1.2007
By Stephanie Ho
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January 15, 2007
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari says his
government supports the new strategy for his
country, as outlined by President Bush in a speech
Wednesday in Washington. At the same time, he
repeated Iraqi government calls for U.S. forces to
release five Iranians who were detained last week in
Iraqi Kurdistan. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from
Washington.
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari said his
government is in favor of President Bush's plan,
which calls for an increase of more than 20,000
additional U.S. troops to Iraq.
"We think it is consistent with our strategy, also,
to provide better security for Baghdad, and to move
on the political and economic issues that are facing
our government," said Zebari. "Additional troops are
needed, indeed, because Baghdad has become the
battleground for all the terrorist insurgents." |
Hoshiyar Zebari, Iraq's foreign minister |
Speaking on CNN's Late Edition, he said he believes
the U.S. and Iraqi governments share a common goal,
achieving peace in Iraq, and that his government is
ready to rise to the challenge of helping achieve
it.
"This would be an Iraqi-led security campaign,
supported by the coalition, with a strong political
will by the government, to be even-handed in dealing
with all the sources of violence and terrorism, in
Baghdad streets and neighborhoods, irrespective of
their sectarian affiliations," continued Zebari.
When asked if his government will crack down on the
militia of powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al Sadr,
the Iraqi foreign minister emphasized that no group
that poses a threat to the Iraqi people will be
excluded.
Meanwhile, Zebari repeated calls from his government
for U.S. forces to release five Iranians detained
last week in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The U.S. military says the detainees are tied to an
Iranian Revolutionary Guard group that provides
money and weapons to insurgents in Iraq. Iran says
they are diplomats who were engaged in legal
activity.
The Iraqi foreign minister said although the Iranian
facility in the Iraqi city of Irbil is not a
diplomatic mission, the five Iranians were doing
diplomatic work.
"I have to clarify to you and to your audience that
in fact, these five Iranians have been working for
many years in a liaison office," he added. "It is
not a consulate or a diplomatic mission. We are in
the process of regularizing, normalizing, that
office into some sort of consulate entity."
Zebari agreed with President Bush's comments that
the Iraqi government should work to stop efforts by
Iran and Syria to support terrorism in Iraq.
But he indicated that Iraq has to, in his words,
"live with" Iran and Syria, and that his government
is committed to cultivating good neighborly
relations with both of them.
voanews com
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