FM warns of continued threat of ISIS terrorist gangs in the region

Baghdad-INA
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, warned today, Sunday, of the continued danger of ISIS terrorist gangs in the region, and stressed that Iraq emphasizes the importance of respecting the decision and will of the Syrian people in shaping their political future.

The ministry said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, participated in the expanded ministerial meeting on Syria hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

 The statement added that "in an intervention he delivered during the meeting, the minister expressed his thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting these meetings," stressing "the importance of dialogue and international cooperation in confronting the challenges facing Syria." 

The minister pointed out - according to the statement - "the existence of a similarity between the change witnessed by Syria and the change that Iraq went through at a certain stage of political history."

The minister said: "In Iraq, we were fighting the defunct Baath Party, and those who understand the Baath Party well are the Iraqi opposition, so we are fully aware of the suffering of the Syrian people from a totalitarian party that controlled everything and led to individual control, internal wars and international isolation."

 He explained that "Iraq suffered from these conditions when the regime was practicing violence against the Iraqi people, and after the invasion of Kuwait and until 2003, the regime in Baghdad was isolated from the world and under international sanctions, as was the regime in Damascus during the last years, and the Iraqi people, with the support of the international community, were able to remove the regime," stressing that "the situation in Syria is similar, as the international community and the struggle of the Syrian people contributed to confronting the Baath regime there."

The minister asked about "how to build a new experience in Syria after the collapse of the Baath Party experience," noting "the necessity for Syria to benefit from the Iraqi experience to avoid some of the negatives that accompanied this experience, and to benefit from the positives that it produced, saying: "Syria can benefit from the challenges we faced; because ignoring these lessons will have serious consequences."

The minister stressed that "Iraq stresses the importance of respecting the decision and will of the Syrian people in shaping their political future, but it is necessary to take into consideration the state of the component society in Syria, and to establish a comprehensive political process in which representatives of all Syrian sects and components participate, and to raise questions about the formation of the National Council, its agenda, and the mechanisms for building the constitution."

Fouad Hussein warned - according to the statement - of "the continued danger of ISIS terrorist gangs, which still pose a threat in the region," noting "Iraq's concern about the presence of the organization on the Syrian side of the border."

The minister said: "The number of ISIS fighters has increased and their armament has changed, especially after they seized new weapons."

He explained that "Iraq is closely monitoring the security situation of (26) prisons under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, where more than ten thousand prisoners from ISIS terrorist gangs and leaders are present in these prisons."

He expressed his "concern that the ongoing clashes in these areas may lead to the escape or release of these terrorists, in addition to the situation in Al-Hawl camp."

He wondered, "What will happen if ISIS takes control of these areas and crosses the border towards Iraq or other countries."
He pointed to "the importance of regional cooperation to confront the threat of ISIS terrorism," noting that "Wadi Hawran, which extends between Anbar and Daraa, has become a passage for the movements of ISIS terrorist gangs."

The minister stressed that "canceling or excluding components and sects and adopting unilateralism will not lead to achieving stability in Syria," stressing "the need for comprehensive cooperation between the Syrian components to achieve peace and stability."

He concluded his speech by saying: “We can present our experience in fighting ISIS and terrorists, which led to security stability in Iraq, which contributes to supporting the stability of Syria and ensuring a better future for its people."

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