Iraqis qualified to secure their country

Iran has called for a prompt withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq, saying that Iraqis are plenty qualified to gain control of their country.

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar said late Wednesday that the deepening crises in Iraq are direct consequences of actions by the occupiers under the pretext of fighting terrorism, on the one hand, and efforts by the terrorists to justify their criminal acts by citing foreign occupation, on the other hand.

Addressing the seventh ministerial meeting of Iraq’s neighbors in Bahrain’s capital city of Manama, Mohammad-Najjar said that the 7-year-old occupation of Iraq by US-led forces has made the war-stricken country more insecure and has worsened the living standards and the economy of the Muslim nation.

“The Islamic Republic condemns all terrorist actions inside Iraq and calls for a quick draw down of foreign forces from the country. Iran strongly believes that the Iraqis are qualified enough to determine their own destiny,” the Iranian interior minister said.

“Tehran feels committed to contribute to the Iraqi government to reach its goals,” he added.

The senior Iranian official went on to say that consolidating unity and expanding regional cooperation are key factors in breaking Iraq’s existing deadlock.

Interior ministers of Iraq’s neighboring states, including Iran, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, gathered in Manama on Wednesday to discuss Iraq’s security situation.