Syrian Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam emphasized the necessity of establishing a government in Iraq chosen by the Iraqi people and putting an end to the occupation of Iraq, with its fate determined under the supervision of the United Nations. Khaddam stated in response to a question from “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat” after his meeting with an Iraqi popular delegation of seventy people (including 7 women) representing 14 parties and movements, led by Dr. Wameed Jamal Nazmi, “Syria has a clear policy towards Iraq, which it has expressed in all Arab and international forums. Iraq is an Arab country that must regain its sovereignty and independence, and its occupation must end. A state chosen by the Iraqi people should be established to build Iraqi institutions and exercise sovereignty over all Iraqis without discrimination for any political, sectarian, or ethnic reasons. We have conducted a round of discussions in which most participating brothers talked about the situation in Iraq, and their consensus was complete in working towards ending the occupation and allowing Iraqis the right to determine their destiny under the supervision of the United Nations. We also discussed the situation in the region and the relationship between what is happening in Iraq and the region.”
On the other hand, the Syrian Vice President affirmed that it is unlikely for any Arab country to send forces to Iraq, adding, “We support the Iraqi people in all Arab and international forums, and we consider that the crisis affecting Iraq is the crisis of the entire Arab nation. It is the duty of the Arab nation to support the Iraqi people in regaining their sovereignty and returning to exercise their natural rights within the Arab and international frameworks.” He also emphasized that the Iraqi people, in all their segments, are determined to maintain Iraq’s unity and avoid internal conflicts. They are also committed to preserving national unity, as “you can see in all media outlets the keenness of our brothers in Iraq to avoid these conflicts because they realize that internal conflicts hinder the process of ending the occupation.”
Additionally, “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat” also met with the spokesperson for the Iraqi delegation, Saleh Al-Mutlaq, who said, “The initial indications from their meeting with the Syrian Vice President suggest that the results will be positive, and there is optimism in evaluating the opinions. We expect Syria to support the Iraqi people in their current crisis and to work with influential national forces in Iraq to rescue it from the significant crisis it is currently experiencing. Syria can play a role in maintaining Iraq’s unity by influencing some of the governing forces in Iraq that are currently acting in an unprincipled manner.”
