Iraq calls for partisan pluralism in Syria, rejects foreign interventions

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraqi Foreign Minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, called on Thursday for political pluralism in Syria, but rejected foreign military intervention there.

Speaking during the Brussels conference for supporting Syria, Jaafari called for “overcoming the single-party era in Syria”.

He also reiterated “Iraq’s stance of rejecting military interventions in Syria”, adding that “there is no solution except for the political one” and calling for the “engagement of Syria’s political opposition in the political system”.

While he said Iraq categorically opposes the use of chemical weapons in conflicts, he called for “civilized, U.N.-mandated means to verify the use of those weapons”.

Syria has been ravaged by war between Russian-backed troops of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, breakaway forces and extremist groups, most notably Islamic State and Nusra Front. The conflict caused millions to be displaced inside and outside the country.

The United States, France and Britain have recently launched an airstrike against sites believed to be Assad government’s reservoirs of chemical weapons. Assad’s government, supported by Moscow, has repeatedly stressed it had done away with its chemical weapons stocks.

Iraq, having declared victory over Islamic State’s three-year occupation of a third of its territories, have recently targeted the group’s sites inside Syria.