Iraq to Send Peace Delegation to Syria
Iraq will send a delegation to Syria to try to convince Damascus to implement a Baghdad initiative to end months of bloody conflict, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said on Thursday.
"When I arrive in Baghdad, I will hold a meeting to prepare the plans to send a delegation to Syria in order to implement the Iraqi initiative," Maliki told Agence France Presse as he flew back to Iraq from Washington.
The initiative is aimed at opening a dialogue between the opposition and the Syrian government to reach a result that satisfies both sides, he said.
"America and Europe are afraid of the phase after (Syrian President) Bashar Assad. That is why they (the United States and Europe) understand the initiative" from Iraq, Maliki said.
The United Nations said this week estimated that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the Syrian government's crackdown on dissent, which enters its 10th month on Thursday.
Source: Agence France Presse
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