Damascus condemns al-Dabagh’s statements

Iraq-Damascus BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Syrian cabinet on Tuesday decided to close both the Damascus-based American School and the Culture Center postponed the meeting of the High Syrian-Iraqi Committee, criticizing the statements made by the spokesman for the Iraqi government on the recent U.S. raid on Syria. “The cabinet, in its weekly meeting on Tuesday headed by Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri, expressed strong denunciation and astonishment over the statements by the spokesman for the Iraqi government and his unacceptable and irresponsible justification for this heinous aggression which was launched from the Iraqi territories against a neighboring Arab country,” Syrian news agency reported. “The cabinet asked the ministers of education and culture to take the needed procedures to implement the decision in coordination with the relevant circles,” it added. “The cabinet also decided to postpone the meeting of the High Syrian-Iraqi Committee which was due to be held in Baghdad Nov. 12-13,” it noted. Al-Dabagh had said the Iraqi government on Tuesday denounced a U.S. air strike on the Syrian border, noting it has started an investigation into the accident. “Iraq reiterated its demand for all organizations that are using Syria as a staging ground to cease their activities in arming and training terrorists that are targeting Iraq,” the spokesman stressed. SH (S)/SR 1