From Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Walid al-Mu'allim met on 21 July with a number of ambassadors accredited to Syria, SANA reported the same day. Al-Mu'allim contended that Syria has "a genuine interest in establishing security and stability in Iraq," and said that direct accusations from the United States and Iraq that blame neighboring countries for the insurgency "are not the remedy for the security situation in Iraq." The minister said that Syria has implemented all that was required of it according to two security agreements concluded with Iraq, and he accused Iraq of failing to implement its side of the plan. Al-Mu'allim said that U.S. and Iraqi forces have engaged in some 100 border clashes with insurgents leading to U.S. troops firing into Syrian territory "in an arbitrary way...due to losing their nerve," thereby endangering Syrian troops. He further contended that Syria has prevented 1,240 "fanatics from various nationalities" from entering Iraq; all but 69 of those arrested were turned over to their countries. Four thousand Syrians who "left or tried to leave" for Iraq are under investigation, he added. |