DUBAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in remarks published on Tuesday he would oppose the use of Iraqi territory as a launchpad for any U.S. military strike on Syria.
"I absolutely reject that Iraqi territory be used as a launchpad for any military strike against Syria or any other Arab country," Talabani told Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat. "But this is my personal opinion and my capabilities are limited in confronting America's might ... I cannot impose my opinion on them," he added in an interview.
U.S. President George W. Bush said last month that military action would be a last resort to deal with Syria, which Washington accuses of allowing foreign fighters to cross the border into Iraq, where U.S. troops are fighting a blooding insurgency. Talabani, who also heads the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), had a long-standing alliance with Syria which allowed him to operate from its territory against former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. "I will not say a word against Syria which I owe a lot to. If I have anything to say I will relay it directly to brother (Syrian President) Bashar al-Assad," Talabani said.
Fears of U.S. military action heightened following a U.N. investigation which implicated Syrian officials in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, an opponent of Syrian domination of his country, and 22 others in February. The report said the killing was organized by Syrian security officials and their Lebanese allies.
The Security Council voted unanimously on Monday for a resolution ordering Syria to cooperate fully with the U.N. investigation or face possible "further action." The resolution warns the council "could consider further action" if Syria does not meet demands in the resolution. Syria denies the charges and says it was conducting its own probe. |