Iraq: Unifying international and regional efforts for security, intelligence cooperation

INA - BAGHDAD -LIVE UPDATES

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, affirmed Iraq's commitment to combating and fighting terrorism, as well as the need to unify and join efforts of all international and regional powers with regard to enhancing security and intelligence cooperation.

"The head of the US department, Ambassador Haider Al-Barrak, delivered the speech of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the consultative meeting on the need to get the terrorists and their families return to their countries of origin from Al-Hawl camp in Syria," said Al-Sahhaf in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

The meeting was held on Monday, and it was chaired by the Security Adviser Qasim Al-Araji, with the participation of diplomatic missions and international organizations residing in Iraq, in addition to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq - UNAMI.

Al-Barrak expressed "thanks and appreciation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs leadership to the National Security Adviser and those in charge of organizing this meeting, which came in response to the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss critical issues, which is the need to get the terrorists and their families return to their countries of origin from Al-Hawl camp in Syria."

In his speech, Ambassador Al-Barrak indicated that "Iraq is one of the countries that have suffered the most from terrorism, according to relevant international reports," noting that "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently implemented the priorities of the Iraqi government, foremost of which is strengthening cooperation frameworks with the international community to counter-terrorism, dry up its sources and eliminate it permanently".

"Iraqi diplomacy has affirmed in all relevant international platforms and conferences the commitment of the government of the Republic of Iraq to counter-terrorism, and has also constantly called for the need to unify and combine the efforts of all international and regional powers to achieve this goal, including a regard to strengthening security and intelligence cooperation," he asserted.

He added, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the National Security Adviser, is to enhance cooperation, especially with the United Nations, to develop a national counter-terrorism strategy, in line with emerging global developments related to the conditions of the war on terrorism, and in implementation of the United Nations' global counter-terrorism strategy."

Ambassador Al-Barrak appreciated "the great efforts made by the United Nations Office for Counter-Terrorism and the Executive Directorate for Counter-Terrorism in the fields of coordinating international efforts and strengthening national capabilities," noting that "the ministry has worked to strengthen initiatives to exchange Iraqi experiences with the international community in various fields in the context of counter-terrorism."

"The security and humanitarian of detaining effect thousands of foreign terrorist fighters and their families in Syria. Al-Hawl camp and other camps represent a direct threat to Iraqi national security," he noted, adding that "based on a sense of responsibility, the competent Iraqi authorities have made thousands of fighters and families detained in al-Hol camp to be returned," stressing that "the Iraqi authorities have taken several field and security steps, including the formation of a specialized national team that works according to a comprehensive and consistent national plan, for auditing records of individuals to be returned for security purposes and to ensure fair judicial accountability for those who committed terrorist criminal acts, as well as to facilitate the process of rehabilitation and reintegration of women and children, with the support and backing of specialized international organizations and agencies."