Salih condemns Aramco attacks in his speech to UNGA74
Iraq’s President Barham Salih has condemned the attack against Saudi oil facilities in Khurais and Abqaiq, earlier in September, which aimed at undermining Saudi Arabia’s security, stressing that the security in the Gulf is vital to Iraq, Saudi Al-Arabiya reported.
During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly`s 74th session (UNGA74) on Wednesday, September 25th, Salih affirmed that Iraq cannot be used as a base for aggression against neighboring countries, and that the Iraqi nation is keen to enhance its relations with Arab and Gulf states.
Concerning the Iraqi situation, Salih said that the security of Iraq is vital to everyone and that undermining this security triggers tensions across the region.
Salih hailed the victory against ISIS in Iraq late in 2017, and the liberation of Iraqi lands from the grip of terror, saying that the terrorist group, however, aims at reviving its existence.
The Iraqi president also warned against a political and security vacuum, which he said terrorism exploits. He also called for a resolution to the problems between the governments in Baghdad and Kurdistan.
During his speech, Salih highlighted the need for a regional and international consensus to fight extremist thought and terrorism, affirming that “the battle of the Iraqis is still going on, in order to achieve sustainable development, return the displaced ‘citizens’, rehabilitate the destroyed areas.”
As the first steps in eliminating terrorism, Salih cited a keenness for development, and finding job opportunities for young people.
Also mentioning corruption, Salih said terrorism and corruption are two sides of the same coin, affirming that Baghdad is working on eliminating graft, restoring embezzled money, and preventing money laundering.
Salih said that corruption is the political economy of violence and is the main source of finance for terrorism.
