Iraq denies normalization with Israel, in talks between Allawi, Hariri
Iraq-Lebanon, Politics, 7/27/2004

Iraq's interim prime minister Eyad Allawi denied the existence of Israelis in Iraq. He said that the information discussed by the mass media to that Iraq has become a base for the Israeli intelligence and permits the Iraqis to visit Israel are not correct and not precise.

Allawi said in a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Rafic Hariri in Beirut said that Baghdad will not normalize its relations with Israel before the Arab states, noting that Iraq will not take any separate steps in any topic relating to the question of settlement with Israel.

Allawi made talks with senior Lebanese officials that dealt with the situation in Iraq and the efforts aiming at achieving security. The talks also dealt with the question of the frozen Iraqi assets in the Lebanese banks.

The Iraqi prime minister also talked about the possibility of resuming the exportation if the Iraqi oil via a pipeline passing through Syria and Lebanon. In this regard, Hariri said that this matter requires an agreement with Syria which this pipeline passes through its lands first.

Both Hariri and Allawi considered in their press conference the decisions taken during the talks important as positive, and it was agreed to form a supreme strategic committee chaired by the prime ministers in the two states seeking to fix economic and strategic relations.

Allawi arrived in Beirut on Sunday in an official visit which lasts for three days coming from Syria in a framework of a tour in the region that covered so far each of Jordan and Egypt.

Previous Stories:
  Allawi arrives in Lebanon   (7/26/2004)
  Israel denies interrogation of detainees in Iraq   (7/5/2004)
  Israel wants diplomatic relations with Iraq   (6/30/2004)
  Huge Lebanese march in solidarity with the Iraqis   (5/22/2004)
  Lahoud expresses concern over situation in Iraq   (4/27/2004)
  Israel and the Iraqi oil pipelines   (8/26/2003)

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