Senior MP: Iraq not to recognize Syrian dissidents

A senior Iraqi legislator on Sunday stressed that Baghdad will reject a recent demand raised by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) for an official recognition of the Syrian dissidents and opponents of Bashar Assad's government. "The PGCC has urged the Iraqi government not to invite Syria to attend the Arab League summit in Baghdad and recognize the Syrian dissidents as the only legal representative of the country (instead)," Salman al-Jamili told FNA on Sunday. He said that Iraq complies with the decisions taken by the Arab League, but meantime reiterated that Baghdad does not intend to recognize the Syrian dissidents. Earlier, a senior Iraqi legislator had criticized the Arab League for unsubscribing Syria's name from the list of invitees to the AL summit in Baghdad on March 29, and said such measures will weaken the Arab bloc's influence in the region. "As the Arab side of the issue, we always underline and support the Arab countries' unity in action and the settlement of problems and differences within the Arab countries," member of the Iraqi parliament's Foreign Relations Commission Sami al-Asgari told FNA on Saturday. "Therefore, I believe that not inviting Syria (to the Arab League summit) is a hasty and incorrect move," he added. Asgari stressed that omitting Syria or Iraq's name from the Arab League's meetings will lessen the bloc's influence in the region. Earlier this month, the Iraqi prime minister had also said in an interview that Iraq wants Syria to participate in the Arab summit that is to be held in Baghdad if it is not barred from doing so by its suspension from the Arab League. The AL member states voted in November to suspend Syria's participation in the Arab League. "We hope that all the Arab leaders will participate in the summit,' which is to take place in late March, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in an interview with Al-Rashid television.