Tehran, July 22: Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) speaker calls for an all-inclusive unity among the Iraqi nation as the country strives to manage its own security following the withdrawal of US troops.
“It is vital that the Iraqis — and Shia people in particular — will strengthen their unity and solidarity at the current sensitive juncture,” Ali Larijani said Tuesday in a meeting with Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi.
“The intelligent nation of Iraq has proved that it enjoys great potentials to administer the country and determine its fate,” he added.
The Parliament speaker reiterated that Iran would spare no efforts to help the Iraqi nation establish an independent state.
The meeting came after the US military completed its troop pullout from urban areas, to meet a June 30 deadline, and handed over the security to local forces ahead of its planned departure from Iraqi soil by the end of 2011.
As part of a security accord between Baghdad and Washington, most of the 131,000 US troops stationed in Iraq had to leave the urban areas, towns and villages and report to US military bases in the country by 30 June.
American soldiers will only be able to enter cities if requested by the Iraqi government.
Larijani touched upon Iraq’s political, security and economic reconstruction and said, “The Iraqi authorities and people will definitely overcome all obstacles in the way of achieving independence.”
—–Agencies