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| Iraq | ||
| MalikiÂ’s Syria stance slammed | ||
| 2012-07-15 | ||
DUBAI — Syria’s former ambassador in Baghdad, Nawaf Fares, criticised Iraqi premier in an interview broadcast on Saturday,
“I personally reproach the (Iraqi) prime minister on his stance which is contradictory to the truth,” Fares, who defected earlier this week, told Doha-based Al Jazeera television channel. “He knows very well what (Syrian President) Bashar Al Assad had done to him and to all of Iraq specifically, Fares said, adding that Assad has “killed thousands” by opening “the doors for Al Qaeda” militants to carry out bombings across Iraq.
Baghdad’s stance was similar to that of Syria’s other ally Iran which Fares accused of “putting pressures” on Maliki’s government. “Iran must not support a tyrant and dictator who is killing his own people, regardless of its interests,” Fares told Al Jazeera in Qatar, where he has fled. When asked on UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan’s bid to shore Iran’s support for his tattered peace plan, Fares said: “Iran is part of the problem, how could it be part of the solution?” Fares, the first Syrian ambassador to defect to the opposition, was widely seen as a government hardliner and his decision, announced on Al Jazeera on Wednesday, was surprising. Syrian foreign ministry had said Fares, who hails from a prominent tribe from eastern Syria, had been dismissed and would be Meanwhile, Iraq’s prime minister on Saturday condemned the killing of more than 150 people in a central Syrian town two days ago, describing the deaths as an “ugly massacre”. “The ugly massacre that took place in Tremseh town, in Hama province, provokes feelings of concern and condemnation,” Nouri Al Maliki said in a statement published on his official website. “This reprehensible crime, which we condemn strongly ... should be an additional incentive for everyone to abandon the methods of violence, murder, revenge and terrorism in solving problems,” Maliki said. He said the killings should urge people to accelerate finding a peaceful solution to the 16-month-long Syrian crisis. Iraq, which has a 600km border with Syria, has voiced support for a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis which initially began in February 2011. | ||
| Posted by:Steve White |