Friday, March 09, 2007
Arab League remarks infuriate UIA
Politics, Middle East,
(AP) Iraq's Shiite leaders expressed anger yesterday at criticism levelled against them by the top Arab League official, warning that such remarks could overshadow this weekend's regional conference to ease the security crisis in Iraq. Last weekend, Arab League's Secretary-General Amr Mousa suggested that Arab governments may take their recommendations on quelling the bloodshed in Iraq to the UN Security Council.
Such a move would be widely interpreted as a failure of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's government. In a statement yesterday, the United Iraqi Alliance, the major Shiite bloc in parliament, said Mousa's comments amounted to "flagrant interference in Iraq's internal affairs" and "ignored the march of the Iraqi people to build a free and democratic state."
"At the same time we hope that the regional conference due to be held in Baghdad in March 10 will not be shadowed by such stands" and will not have a "negative impact" on efforts to resolve the Iraq crisis, the statement said. During a press conference yesterday, the Shiite Deputy Speaker of parliament, Khalid Al Attiyah, also denounced Mousa's comments, saying they could provoke "sedition and disputes among Iraqi people."
"We hope that the Arab League will not be part of any dispute or quarrel inside Iraq that might encourage some parties to take some Arab countries to their sides to accomplish their political desires," Al Attiyah said. Mousa's comments were made in Cairo, Egypt during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss participation in the Baghdad conference.
(AP) Iraq's Shiite leaders expressed anger yesterday at criticism levelled against them by the top Arab League official, warning that such remarks could overshadow this weekend's regional conference to ease the security crisis in Iraq. Last weekend, Arab League's Secretary-General Amr Mousa suggested that Arab governments may take their recommendations on quelling the bloodshed in Iraq to the UN Security Council.
Such a move would be widely interpreted as a failure of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's government. In a statement yesterday, the United Iraqi Alliance, the major Shiite bloc in parliament, said Mousa's comments amounted to "flagrant interference in Iraq's internal affairs" and "ignored the march of the Iraqi people to build a free and democratic state."
"At the same time we hope that the regional conference due to be held in Baghdad in March 10 will not be shadowed by such stands" and will not have a "negative impact" on efforts to resolve the Iraq crisis, the statement said. During a press conference yesterday, the Shiite Deputy Speaker of parliament, Khalid Al Attiyah, also denounced Mousa's comments, saying they could provoke "sedition and disputes among Iraqi people."
"We hope that the Arab League will not be part of any dispute or quarrel inside Iraq that might encourage some parties to take some Arab countries to their sides to accomplish their political desires," Al Attiyah said. Mousa's comments were made in Cairo, Egypt during a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss participation in the Baghdad conference.
Labels: Amr Mousa, Arab League, Khalid Al Attiyah, United Iraqi Alliance, UNSC
