.Iraq's neighbors discuss security cooperation
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - A top U.S. official in Syria said Sunday that militants driven out of Iraq continue to pose a threat and urged Iraq's neighbors not to tolerate them.
U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly told a conference of Iraq's neighbors held in Syria that the militant groups continue to receive weapons, training, funding and guidance from abroad.
Iraq's neighbors should "refrain from tolerating these groups as they pose a threat not only to Iraq but also to their own country," she said.
Connelly's comments come about a month after the U.S. military carried out a raid inside Syria near its border with Iraq. U.S. officials have said the raid targeted a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure, but Syria said it killed eight civilians.
The U.S. has routinely criticized Syria for not doing enough to prevent militants from crossing its border into Iraq.
But Tareq al-Baldawi, a member of the Iraqi delegation at the meeting in Damascus, said coordination with Syria over security issues was "very good" even if some people crossed the border illegally.
"Infiltrations occur in any place and between any two states," he said.
Iraq's neighbors, meanwhile, stressed their rejection of using Iraq as a launch pad for attacks on its neighbors, according to a statement issued at the end of Sunday's one-day meeting.
Iraq's parliament is expected to vote on Wednesday on a proposed pact that would allow American troops to stay in Iraq for three more years. The agreement also offers guarantees that Iraqi territory will not be used by the U.S. to launch attacks on neighboring countries.
Labid Abbawi, undersecretary of Iraq's Foreign Ministry, repeated that pledge Sunday, saying Iraq will not be used as a "base or passageway" for any aggression against neighboring countries.
Sunday's meeting was attended by representatives from all of Iraq's neighbors except Saudi Arabia - whose relationship with Syria has been tense. Representatives from the United States, Egypt, Bahrain, the European Union and permanent U.N. Security Council members also attended.
MyWay
U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly told a conference of Iraq's neighbors held in Syria that the militant groups continue to receive weapons, training, funding and guidance from abroad.
Iraq's neighbors should "refrain from tolerating these groups as they pose a threat not only to Iraq but also to their own country," she said.
Connelly's comments come about a month after the U.S. military carried out a raid inside Syria near its border with Iraq. U.S. officials have said the raid targeted a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure, but Syria said it killed eight civilians.
The U.S. has routinely criticized Syria for not doing enough to prevent militants from crossing its border into Iraq.
But Tareq al-Baldawi, a member of the Iraqi delegation at the meeting in Damascus, said coordination with Syria over security issues was "very good" even if some people crossed the border illegally.
"Infiltrations occur in any place and between any two states," he said.
Iraq's neighbors, meanwhile, stressed their rejection of using Iraq as a launch pad for attacks on its neighbors, according to a statement issued at the end of Sunday's one-day meeting.
Iraq's parliament is expected to vote on Wednesday on a proposed pact that would allow American troops to stay in Iraq for three more years. The agreement also offers guarantees that Iraqi territory will not be used by the U.S. to launch attacks on neighboring countries.
Labid Abbawi, undersecretary of Iraq's Foreign Ministry, repeated that pledge Sunday, saying Iraq will not be used as a "base or passageway" for any aggression against neighboring countries.
Sunday's meeting was attended by representatives from all of Iraq's neighbors except Saudi Arabia - whose relationship with Syria has been tense. Representatives from the United States, Egypt, Bahrain, the European Union and permanent U.N. Security Council members also attended.
MyWay
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