Zeibari calls on Damascus to make greater efforts to prevent border infiltration

The Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiar Zeibari called on Damascus "to make greater efforts" in order to prevent armed elements from infiltration to Iraq, noting that Syria is "one of the main countries from which foreign terrorists come."

In an announcement before the UN Security Council, Zeibari said that some countries were more positive than others in meeting the Iraqi demands to halting the support for terrorists, according to UN resolution 1546. He added "we have learnt recently that Syria prevented more than 1000 foreign fighters from entering Iraq. We are happy for that but that matter proves our earlier assessment to that Syria is one of the main countries through which foreign terrorists and the remains of the foreign regime cross into Iraq."

In his reaction to Zeibari's statements, the Syrian representative to the UN Faisal al-Miqdad said "we do our best" stressing a lack of stability in Iraq means also non stability in Syria.