Foreign
Minister Says Iraq Supports New US Strategy
By Stephanie Ho
Washigton
14 January 2007 VOA
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| Iraqi Foreign
Minister Hoshyar Zebari speaks to the media (File photo) |
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari says his
government supports the new strategy for his country, as outlined by President
Bush in a speech Wednesday in Washington. At the same time, he repeated Iraqi
government calls for U.S. forces to release five Iranians who were detained last
week in Iraqi Kurdistan. VOA's Stephanie Ho reports from Washington.
Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari said his
government is in favor of President Bush's plan, which calls for an increase of
more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq.
"We think it is consistent with our strategy,
also, to provide better security for Baghdad, and to move on the political and
economic issues that are facing our government," said Zebari. "Additional troops
are needed, indeed, because Baghdad has become the battleground for all the
terrorist insurgents."
Speaking on CNN's Late Edition, he
said he believes the U.S. and Iraqi governments share a common goal, achieving
peace in Iraq, and that his government is ready to rise to the challenge of
helping achieve it.
"This would be an Iraqi-led security campaign,
supported by the coalition, with a strong political will by the government, to
be even-handed in dealing with all the sources of violence and terrorism, in
Baghdad streets and neighborhoods, irrespective of their sectarian
affiliations," continued Zebari.
When asked if his government will crack down on
the militia of powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al Sadr, the Iraqi foreign
minister emphasized that no group that poses a threat to the Iraqi people will
be excluded.
Meanwhile, Zebari repeated calls from his
government for U.S. forces to release five Iranians detained last week in Iraqi
Kurdistan.
The U.S. military says the detainees are tied
to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard group that provides money and weapons to
insurgents in Iraq. Iran says they are diplomats who were engaged in legal
activity.
The Iraqi foreign minister said although the
Iranian facility in the Iraqi city of Irbil is not a diplomatic mission, the
five Iranians were doing diplomatic work.
"I have to clarify to you and to your audience
that in fact, these five Iranians have been working for many years in a liaison
office," he added. "It is not a consulate or a diplomatic mission. We are in the
process of regularizing, normalizing, that office into some sort of consulate
entity."
Zebari agreed with President Bush's comments
that the Iraqi government should work to stop efforts by Iran and Syria to
support terrorism in Iraq.
But he indicated that Iraq has to, in his
words, "live with" Iran and Syria, and that his government is committed to
cultivating good neighborly relations with both of them.
