Baghdad Afraid of Extremist Rule in Syria

President Jalal Talabani said Iraq was afraid extremists might take over in Syria if Bashar Assad's regime falls, according to a Saturday statement on the presidential website.

"We are worried about the alternative... we are afraid of the extremist party, if it replaces the old," Talabani said in an interview with Iraqiya television, according to the statement.

"We are afraid that if extremist forces come to power, they would be hostile to democracy, and hostile to Iraq.

"We support the peaceful political work for democracy and a civil constitutional government in Syria. We support the work for the reforms that the Syrian people want," he said.

But Talabani said that Iraq was opposed to foreign military intervention in Syria.

"We are against armed Western intervention in (Syria's) internal affairs," Talabani said, adding that the same applied to intervention by Turkish forces.

NATO-led air strikes in support of Libyan rebels were key to overthrow long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi's regime. A rebel Free Syrian Army has been formed to oppose Assad's rule.

"It is important to be against dictatorship in any Arab country, and we support the right of the Arab people to democracy and parliamentary life, party life and the freedom of press, but ... we are against the external military intervention," Talabani said.

Iraq was the only country to abstain from a November 12 vote to suspend Syria from the Arab League. Lebanon, Yemen and Syria voted against.