National Security Advisor Mouaffak Al Rubaie stressed the necessity of reaching regional reconciliation rather than sectarian confrontation in the region. In a dialogue session during Gulf Security Conference held at the end of last week in Manama that the region’s security cannot be disintegrated. He added that Iraq is considering seriously calling for regional security pact similar to Baghdad pact or NATO-style pact in aim to counter terrorism, counter narcotics, counter religious extremism and counter sectarianism. Al Rubaie and Vice President Tarek Al Hashemi agreed on this point as the latter told reporters on the sidelines of the conference that any security arrangement in the region should include Iran. In a bid to reassure Gulf countries regarding mounting Iranian influence in Iraq, Al Rubaie affirmed Baghdad’s willingness to tighten long term cooperation with the United States for this will serve the interest of Gulf Cooperation Council and the region’s countries.
National Security Advisor Mouaffak Al Rubaie stressed the necessity of reaching regional reconciliation rather than sectarian confrontation in the region. In a dialogue session during Gulf Security Conference held at the end of last week in Manama that the region’s security cannot be disintegrated. He added that Iraq is considering seriously calling for regional security pact similar to Baghdad pact or NATO-style pact in aim to counter terrorism, counter narcotics, counter religious extremism and counter sectarianism. Al Rubaie and Vice President Tarek Al Hashemi agreed on this point as the latter told reporters on the sidelines of the conference that any security arrangement in the region should include Iran. In a bid to reassure Gulf countries regarding mounting Iranian influence in Iraq, Al Rubaie affirmed Baghdad’s willingness to tighten long term cooperation with the United States for this will serve the interest of Gulf Cooperation Council and the region’s countries.
However, Al Rubaie addressed criticism to Iran and Saudi Arabia accusing them of interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs through fueling sectarian tensions and hindering the political process. He explained that competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran on Iraq’s soil has turned into conflict noting that Iraq’s government engagement with the regions countries since the beginning of the current year has pushed Saudi Arabia to take efficient measures in order to halt the flow of Saudis into Iraq under the motto of Jihad while it tightened control on money transfer to these movements. As for Iran, Al Rubaie explained that it has taken measures to boost border control which curbed weapons cargos to militias. He declared as well that Syria has put forth measures to promote oversight on Damascus airport to prevent foreign terrorists from crossing borders into Iraq.
It is to be mentioned that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has proposed on GCC countries in its summit last week in Doha to establish Gulf security cooperation pact. However, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned in the opening of the conference against the threat of Tehran's foreign policies as a threat to the Middle East in an attempt to persuade gulf countries of developing a protective defensive missile umbrella.
