LOC09:39
06:39 GMT
NEW YORK, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- The Security Council late Friday condemned the
attacks being perpetrated by Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Islamic State in Iraq and
the Levant (ISIL), against the Iraqi people, in an attempt to destabilize the
country and the region, and urged all the Iraqis to unite and continue their
national dialogue.
In a US-drafted statement read out in a Council open meeting, Council
President Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan said the Council
"recognizes that Iraqi security forces, local police and tribes in Anbar
province are showing "great courage" as they fight to defeat ISIL in the
cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in Anbar province.
The Council urged the Iraqi people, including tribes, local leaders, and
government forces in Anbar province, to continue, expand and strengthen their
cooperation against violence and terror, and stressed the "critical importance
of continued national dialogue and unity."
The Council welcomed comments from Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani welcoming
internally displaced residents of Anbar to Najaf and Karbala, as well as the
commitment of a number of communities - Sunni, Shiite and Kurd - to meet
whatever humanitarian needs they may have.
It expressed its "strong support for the continued efforts of the Iraqi
Government to help meet the security needs of the entire population of Iraq,
and acknowledged the efforts of the Iraqi security forces and Iraqi local
police, whose members are also being targeted and killed in ongoing attacks by
terrorists."
The Council also welcomed the commitment of the Iraqi Government to protect
the civilian population in Fallujah and elsewhere and to provide them with
humanitarian aid, in cooperation with the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) and the humanitarian agencies in the country.
It expressed concern about the impact of the violence on civilians, and
encouraged the safe passage of civilians trapped in conflict areas, as well as
the safe return of internally displaced persons as conditions allow.
It stressed the "critical importance" of an inclusive political process,
the holding of free and fair elections in April 2014, and the right to
peaceful protests as guaranteed under the Iraqi Constitution.
"The Security Council believes that this is vital to underpin a unified
national stance against terrorism, and to ensure Iraq's long-term security,"
the statement said.
The Council reaffirmed the need to bring perpetrators, organizers,
financiers and sponsors of these "reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice,"
reaffirmed that ISIL is subject to the arms embargo and assets freeze imposed
by relevant Council resolutions, and underlined the importance of "prompt and
effective implementation" of these measures.
It once again stressed the need to combat "by all means," threats to
international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, and that any acts
of terrorism are "criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation,
wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed."
It finally reaffirmed its support for the independence, sovereignty, unity
and territorial integrity of Iraq, and stressed that "no terrorist act can
reverse the path towards peace, democracy and reconstruction in Iraq, which is
supported by the Iraqi people and Government and by the international
community.
Iraqi Ambassador Mohammed Al-Hakim thanked the Council for issuing the
Presidential Statement on Iraq and for working tirelessly to have it approved
quickly.
He later told reporters that Iraq is "very grateful" to issue it at this
point in time because the situation is "very dangerous" right now in those
cities, and it is "very crucial" for Iraq to have the Council's support.
"We need the Council support continuously to fight terrorism. Terrorism in
the area is very dangerous, especially in Syria situation," he said, recalling
that Iraq had already warned that the terrorism in Syria would move to Iraq.
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