Mottaki, Zebari discuss recent developments, Iraq neighbors meeting

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and his Iranian counterpart Manuchehr Mottaki discussed recent security developments in Iraq and means of holding an extraordinary meeting of Iraq ‘s neighboring countries. “Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki discussed over the phone on Saturday with Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari the recent assaults that shook the Iraqi capital Baghdad,” according to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA). Mottaki noted that no matter “how hard the enemies of Iraq tried, they would never attain their objectives of undermining Iraq. ” For his part, Zebari expressed thanks to the Iranian position “supportive of a suffering Iraqi people and the Iranian side’s stresses on the security, stability and welfare of Iraq. ” The two sides also dealt with ways to convene an extraordinary meeting of Iraq ‘s neighboring countries to exchange views on recent developments in the war-scarred nation. On Wednesday (Aug. 19), the Iraqi capital Baghdad was rocked by six blasts with improvised explosive devices and car bombs. On Thursday (Aug. 20), the recent tally of casualties of the bombings were announced by Maj. General Qassem Atta, the official spokesman for the Fardh al-Qanoon (law imposing) security plan, to be 82 deaths and 1203 others wounded. AmR (S)/SR 1