Talibani calls on neighboring states to close borders
Iraq-Regional, Politics, 11/3/2003

The chairman of the Interim Governing Council in Iraq for December, Jalal al-Talibani, has called on Iraq's neighboring states to "close their borders and prevent terrorists from entering Iraq," while speculating that there is a link between the deputy chairman of the Iraqi Revolution Leadership Council in the former regime Ezzat Ibrahim al-Douri and the attacks against the American occupation.

Talibani said yesterday in conclusion of a visit to Kuwait which lasted for three days "I appeal to our neighbors to help us stop sneaking operations of terrorists to our country by blocking their borders to terrorists who commit crimes against the Iraqi people." He added "I urge these countries to understand the situation in Iraq and build their own convictions according to reality rather than imaginative matters."

He disclosed in a statement to the Kuwait daily al-Rai al-Aam that he had negotiations with one relative of the former Iraqi official Ezzat Ibrahim al-Douri in order to have al-Douri surrender to the American forces.

Talibani said "One of his relative visited us and asked us to mediate on his behalf with the American government in order to surrender himself under two conditions: not to hand him over to Kuwait, and then to help him with medical treatment." He added "I told him if he surrenders the American, they will not hand him over to the Kuwaitis, and I conveyed to him that if he surrenders he will not be handed over to Kuwait, rather will be tried like others with the Iraqis."

Talibani has not ruled out that al-Douri is behind "the terrorist operations in Iraq and plays the role of the provocateur of people for suicide, while he is away from the battle field."

Five Iraqis were wounded on Saturday by celebration gun fire in Karkouk in celebration of Taliban's assumption of the presidency of the Iraqi Interim governing council.

Previous Stories:
  Iraqi national and Islamic forces delegation in Beirut   (11/1/2003)
  Arab, international journalists delegation to visit Iraq   (10/31/2003)
  State of fear in Baghdad; Saddam calls for general strik; Damascus meeting to 'accelerate end of occupation'   (10/31/2003)

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