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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraq's Neighbors Agree to Improve Security |
| 2004-07-21 |
| Iraq's neighbors agreed Wednesday to hold a high-level security meeting and share intelligence about cross-border infiltration, answering the war-ravaged nation's plea for assistance. Facing almost daily car bombings and firefights, Iraq accuses foreign Muslim infiltrators of being behind some of the deadliest attacks and says neighboring countries are either facilitating or turning a blind eye to infiltration across borders. After a day of long-winded deliberations and minor disagreements, Arab foreign ministers welcomed the proposal of Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari to convene interior ministers and security officials to discuss how to "eliminate all terrorist and other armed groups present and emanating from Iraqi territory which constitute a danger to Iraq and neighboring states," the final statement of the meeting said. The date of the meeting, to be hosted by Iran, has not yet been decided. But delegates at the sixth regional meeting of Iraq's neighbors said the meeting will mean intelligence sharing, and possibly reinforcement of border patrols. "All of them accepted to work with us on this issue," Zebari told The Associated Press, saying he was pleased with the meeting's outcome. Wednesday's gathering was the first by the neighbors since sovereignty was returned to the Iraqis last month, a fact that likely translated into the delegates' readiness to act on their words of support. "Just as neighboring countries affect the situation in Iraq, they are affected by it," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal said the gathering approved all of Iraq's proposals. "These countries want to be of help to Iraq in facing crises," he said. "All the proposals presented by Iraq to the meeting were welcome." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Iraq's Neighbors Agree to Improve Security They left out the tag line of "... or it Will be Improved for Them" |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-07-21 11:36:32 PM |
| #1 When Reinhard Heydrich headed INTERPOL, he, too, improved security. __________________Inmates running their respective asylums, methinks... |
| Posted by: borgboy 2004-07-21 11:27:24 PM |