Fears of negative impact from Syria developments – MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: There is growing concern over Iraq’s security from the negative effects of the events unfolding in Syria, a member of the parliament’s Security and Defense Committee said on Monday. “The committee had discussed arms smuggling from Iraq into Syria by some weapons smugglers, who buy weapons from Iraq and then smuggle them across the borders,” Qassem al-Aaraji told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Army forces and border guards are intensifying their border patrols to prevent infiltrators from and into Iraq, and to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Syria,” he added. Violence in Syria continues; the 11-month uprising against President Bashar Assad has claimed thousands of lives. Human rights groups believe more than 7,000 people have been killed while the government says at least 2,000 members of the security forces have died fighting militants. SH (TI)/SR 768