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Iraq's President Jalal Talabani slams Arab
'connivers'
30.6.2007
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June
30, 2007
GENEVA , -- Iraq's President Jalal Talabani
on Friday accused some Arab states of "conniving"
against Baghdad for fear it will build a democracy
that inspires other peoples in the region to seek
greater freedom.
Speaking to a Geneva meeting of the Socialist
International, Talabani accused the same states of
"laxness" that allowed terrorists from around the
Arab world to flood into Iraq.
"Since its liberation from dictatorship, Iraq is
coming under an external invasion of terrorists from
all parts of the Arab world -- from the Maghreb,
Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and
Syria," declared Talabani, an ethnic Kurd.
He said terrorists were "exploiting the laxness of
the governments that oppose a federal and democratic
Iraq", and also receiving generous financial backing
from organizations in those countries that claim to
promote Islam. |
Iraqi
President : Jalal Talabani, a Kurd |
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"Iraq has now become an arena for the conniving of
most of these governments against our people,"
Talabani declared,
according to an English text of his speech provided
by officials accompanying him.
He called on the Socialist International and
governments led by its member parties to urge Middle
Eastern states "to stop interfering in the internal
affairs of Iraq" and to cut off financial help for
terrorists in his country.
The Socialist International, a worldwide
organization of social democratic, socialist and
labor parties, currently groups some 161 political
parties and organizations.
Talabani made no reference to Iran, which he visited
earlier this week. Tehran is often accused of
backing violent terror in Iraq by the United States
and Britain, which jointly invaded in 2003 to
overthrow former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
After meeting Talabani, Iran's supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamanei accused Washington of trying
to undermine his country's ties with Iraq. Tehran
"seriously supports the current government of Iraq,"
he declared.
According to the official text of his Geneva speech,
Talabani gave a number of reasons for the alleged
"conniving" of some Arab governments against the
Baghdad administration.
He said they feared democratic rule in Iraq might
lead the people of the Middle East to seek the same
and inspire "the oppressed ethnicities to rise and
call for their rights".
There was also a feeling of "animosity towards the
Shia of Iraq", with some Arab governments similarly
ill-disposed towards the Kurds, who had gained
national rights such as federalism and built a safe
and prosperous region, he said.
Reuters
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