Pan-Islamic body calls for immediate cease-fire, withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq

The group of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in the United Nations called in New York on Monday for an immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of all foreign forces from Iraq.

At the end of a meeting on the tragic situation in Iraq at the UN headquarters, the group asserted "it is important to respect sovereignty, national integrity, national unity of Iraq and its neighbors and the Iraqi people's sovereignty on its natural resources and its right to determine its political future."

OIC voiced deep concern over the attacks targeting the civil population and damages inflicted on religious edifices, stressing the necessity to preserve archeological and historical heritage in Iraq.

As to the disastrous humanitarian situation in Iraq, OIC group demanded providing an immediate humanitarian assistance to Iraq, saying it is ready to work with other UN groups to bring this question to the UN General Assembly.