Iraqi MP threatens to cut trade with Syria over Baghdad attacks

Nov 24, 2009, 7:56 GMT

Baghdad - An Iraqi lawmaker, in remarks published Monday, threatened to cut economic ties with Syria if Damascus does not extradite men Iraq accuses of involvement in attacks in Baghdad.

'Baghdad may have to reconsider its economic relations with Syria if they persist in refusing to extradite Baathist and 'Saddamists' and do not prevent terrorists from infiltrating the border into Iraq,' lawmaker Hassan al-Sanid told Baghdad's al-Sabbah newspaper.

Al-Sanid is close to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who accused Syria of not doing enough to stop ex-Baathists from financing and plotting attacks in Iraq after a series of blasts on August 19 and October 25 together killed more than 200 people, injured thousands of others, and badly damaged the ministries of finance, foreign affairs, and justice in central Baghdad.

The accusations touched off a diplomatic row that saw each country withdraw its ambassador to the other.

'Iraq wants stable diplomatic relations with Syria,' al-Sanid said, 'But officials in Damascus seem not to be interested in seeing the relationship envisioned in the strategic protocol to its fruition.'

In April, the two countries signed an agreement creating a Supreme Joint Committee for Syrian-Iraqi relations with a mandate to strengthen ties on a long list of issues, including energy, water, finance, communications, sport, media, and the arts.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani hailed the agreement as opening 'a new era of strategic relations,' during a visit from Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otri.

But in his remarks on Monday, al-Sanid said Iraq would submit new documents that would 'prove external interference in (Iraq's) internal affairs.'

Al-Sanid said Iraq would present its case to the United Nations for an international tribunal to try and 'punish those who killed Iraqis.'

Iraqi security forces last weekend released videotaped confessions of suspects confessing to having participated in the October bombings in Baghdad and to being Baathists. One of the suspects said he had Saudi citizenship.

Iraqi politicians say the country has submitted 'thousands of pages of documents' to a UN special envoy in support of its petition for an international investigation into regional involvement in the Baghdad blasts.

Syria has condemned the attacks, and has roundly denied any involvement.