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Iran Orders Iraq To Support Syria’s Assad
regime With $10 Billion
5.8.2011
By Ma'ad Fayad, Ashraq Al-Awsat |
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August 5, 2011
LONDON,— A prominent source in the Iraqi
National Alliance [INA], which is in alliance with
the State of Law Coalition [SLC] led by Iraqi Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki, has disclosed that "Iran
pressured its allies in Baghdad into supporting the
Syrian authorities with $10 billion" and pointed out
that "Al-Maliki yielded to this Iranian demand and
actually supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
financially."
The leading source in the INA told Asharq Al-Awsat
by telephone from Baghdad: "Iranian Ambassador in
Baghdad Hassan Danaifar conveyed verbal messages
from Islamic Revolution Guide Ali Khamenei and Al-Quds
Corps Commander General Qassem Suleimani to the INA
leaders separately that included the need to support
the Syrian president financially with a sum set at
$10 billion." It added that "the demand came in the
form of orders which Al-Maliki accepted in his
capacity as the leader of the Iraqi Government."
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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R)
orders Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki to provide $10bn aide
to Syria’s Assad regime. Photo: Reuters |
The source revealed that "some INA members objected
to the total sum and not the principle of helping
President Al-Assad but the Iranian ambassador
informed them that he was not authorized to discuss
the issue and his task was to convey the message
from high-level Iranian religious and political
quarters." It added that "we in the INA are
embarrassed because the Iraqi people are suffering
from acute economic crises while we agree to pay $10
billion to rescue the Syrian president from his
ordeal because of the international sanctions
imposed on him."
The Iranian five-member committee tasked with
following up the Iraqi dossier which is supervised
by Guide Khamenei took several measures to use the
Iraqi resources to back the Syrian regime. According
to the INA source, the "Iranian ambassador created
for the INA the suitable formula for backing the
Syrian regime by having the funds paid within the
context of the economic agreements that were
concluded and activated between Baghdad and Damascus
at the end of last week."
Syrian Economy and Trade Minister Muhammad Nidal al-Shaar
concluded last week a visit to Iraq during which he
met Prime Minister Al-Maliki and also several Iraqi
ministers which resulted in the signing of several
economic agreements. According to the statement
issued by his office, Al-Maliki asserted during his
meeting with the Syrian minister "the Iraqi
Government's desire to develop commercial and
economic cooperation with Syria in all fields in the
interests of the two fraternal peoples."
On his part, Hashim Hatim, director general of
foreign economic relations at the Iraqi Trade
Ministry, denied that "Iraq has signed more
agreements with Syria at this particular time when
it is facing internal troubles." He said in
statements to Asharq Al-Awsat earlier this week that
"most of the agreements that were signed now between
Iraq and Syria have existed since the 1970's and all
we did was activate some of them and alter others
due to the change in Iraqi economic policies from
centrally-controlled one as it was under the former
regime to the market economy."
According to the INA source, the "Iraqi Government
concluded new agreements and activated old ones with
Syria, including three agreements in the health,
trade, and investment fields, and paid $10 billion
in implementation of a purely Iranian will."
As to the interaction of Al-Maliki's crisis with the
other blocs allied with him in the INA, the source
asserted that "Al-Maliki fears his disagreements
with his allies will cause a rift in the alliance
and hence will lose his battle to keep his post and
therefore sought the help of Tehran to pressure the
other Shiite parties into having a dialogue and
committing themselves to backing him." It pointed
out that "Suleimani tasked their ambassador in
Baghdad to carry out this duty." The source also
disclosed that "Iranian Amb. Danaifar is one of the
prominent officers in the Quds Corps and worked in
the Iranian Revolution's guards as official in
charge of relations between the guards and the
opposition Shiite parties that were based in Iran. I
personally met him several times at that time and
during the phase of coordination between the Iranian
authorities and Iraqi opposition leaders whom
Danaifar knew personally,www.ekurd.netamong
them Al-Maliki whom he met in Damascus and Tehran.
They are bound by close ties." He pointed out that
"this explains Al-Maliki's eagerness to visit
Danaifar in hospital when he had a minor accident
before two weeks. There is nothing in protocol which
says the prime minister ought to visit the
ambassador of a neighboring country as this is the
prerogative of the foreign ministry's relations
department."
The INA leader also revealed that a delegation led
by an Al-Dawa Party leader and a prominent Al-Maliki
adviser visited Iran recently and said "the
delegation returned from Tehran with Iranian
proposals for supporting Al-Assad's regime."
It is recalled that the Iraqi Government has large
sums of money deposited in Syrian banks about which
there was no talk during the Syrian commercial
delegation's recent visit to Baghdad. Observers
believed these funds would stay there at present to
support the Syrian authorities.
On his part, Khalid al-Asadi, the SLC deputy in the
House of Representatives, has denied that "Iraq has
backed the Syrian regime with $10 billion" adding
"this report is baseless." He told Asharq Al-Awsat
by telephone from Baghdad that "Iraq needs money to
improve its situation so how can it contribute $10
billion to Syria. Moreover, the Syrian Government
does not need any financial aid." He pointed out
that "Iraq is bound to Syria by good ties. It is a
neighboring country and the Syrian people are our
brothers. We wish they unite and Syria remains
strong."
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