Iraq requests international probe into Baghdad bombings

Nov 11, 2009, 8:20 GMT

Baghdad - Iraq has formally requested an international probe into what role, if any, its neighbours played in two devastating bombings attacks in Baghdad, the daily al-Sabah reported Wednesday.

Shiite politician Muwaffaq al-Rubaie told the daily that Iraq had requested submitted 'thousands of pages of documents' he claimed proved regional countries' role in August 19 and October 25 bombings that together killed 255 people, injured hundreds more and badly damaged the ministries of finance, foreign affairs, and justice.

After those bombings, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accused Syria of not doing enough to stop ex-Baathists from coordinating and financing the attacks, prompting a diplomatic row that saw Syria and Iraq withdraw their respective ambassadors to the other.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last week dispatched Oscar Fernandez-Taranco to meet with Iraqi officials following intense Iraqi lobbying for a UN probe into the allegations.

'Iraq has presented the international envoy with all the evidence, and recommendations as to what neighbouring countries can do to support security in (Iraq),' al-Rubaie told the daily.

'This does not amount to an accusation against the government of Syria,' he said, 'But there is information that confirms that mid-level Syrian security officers supported the work of al-Qaeda terrorists and provided them with facilities and support.'

'Some circles in Saudi Arabia likewise offered grass-roots financial and moral support,' al-Rubaie charged.

The Islamic State in Iraq, an umbrella Sunni insurgent group including al-Qaeda in Iraq, took responsibility for the bombings in statements posted to Islamist websites.

Iraqi security forces have arrested 74 people they suspect of playing a role in the bombings, spokesmen said Tuesday. More than 60 of those are from the Iraqi security forces.

'The international investigator will consider the evidence ... as a mediator, because Iraq does not want to alienate any country,' he said.

He said he hoped the UN investigator would tell political leaders in neighbouring countries how to 'tighten security measures' and how to prevent 'political, financial, human and media support for terrorism.'

Al-Rubaie accused 13 ex-Baathists of 'working behind the scenes to support terrorism.' He said the Iraqi intelligence services would work to improve their surveillance techniques to prevent attacks from happening.