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.