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World must aid Iraq, Syria govts in fighting IS: Russia
September 2, 2014, 5:13 am

Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani (C), the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights, speaks at the a special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) on human rights situation in Iraq, in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 1, 2014 [Xinhua]

Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani (C), the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights, speaks at the a special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) on human rights situation in Iraq, in Geneva, Switzerland, Sept. 1, 2014 [Xinhua]

Russia has said the international community must coordinate with the governments in Iraq and Syria to fight violent and extremist groups like the Islamic State (IS). The UNHRC on Monday decided to send a 11-member fact-finding mission to Iraq to investigate alleged war crimes perpetrated by the group.

The chaos in Iraq is the direct result of forced external intervention by the West, said Alexey Borodavkin, Russia’s permanent UN envoy.

“The current tragedy in Iraq is clear evidence that wrongful external interference with the use of force, which leads to the destruction of the state, does not create democracy and does not contribute to the promotion of human rights,” said Borodavkin.

He was speaking at a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Iraq.

“Chaos gives rise to extremism and terrorism. And it is not the fault, but the misfortune of the Iraqi and the Syrian governments that are forced to fight in a life-and-death struggle with international terrorist organizations. The international community must help them in every possible way, coordinating their actions with Baghdad and Damascus,” he added.

Moscow says the 2003 US-UK invasion of Iraq was to blame for the current crisis gripping the country, allowing the growth of Sunni jihadist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), whose fighters have swept through towns and cities north and west of Baghdad over the past months.

Earlier on Sunday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that battling terrorism is a major challenge for the new government.

The Russian Envoy to the UN, Borodavkin also noted on Monday that some governments indirectly contribute to terrorist activity and that Russia has repeatedly warned of the detrimental consequences of such irresponsible policy.

The UNHRC fact-finding team is expected to file its report by March.

Meanwhile US President Barack Obama had authorized air strikes and humanitarian airdrops over certain Iraqi towns since early August.

Islamic State militants have grabbed large areas of Iraqi territory since June while targeting religious minorities.

According to UN figures at least 1,420 Iraqis were killed, 1,370 wounded and 600,000 forced to flee in August.

 

TBP and Agencies