National dialog, Only Solution For Syria Crisis: Senior MP

Tehran, Dec 24, IRNA -- National dialogue among opposition groups and the government is the only solution for the Syrian crisis, the Chairman of Iran's Majlis (Parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi said here on Sunday. He made the remarks in a meeting with former Iraqi Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahrololoum. 'Joint historical, cultural and religious background of Iranian and Iraqi nation is a good ground for expansion of relations between the two countries; boosting parliamentarian ties between Tehran and Baghdad parliaments would bring the ties between the two countries into a new era.' Bahrololoum, for his part, underlined that all Iraqi political factions reiterate the necessity of enhancement of relations with Tehran in all fields. This Iraqi politician underscored the importance of all regional countries' cooperation to prevent the expansion of Syrian crisis. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against the Syrian police forces and the border guards being reported across the country. Thousands of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. In October 2011, calm was eventually restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies are seeking hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots in the hope of increasing unrest in Syria. The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by some Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States. The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure. In case of Iran-Iraq relations, it should be noted that the two country have enjoyed growing ties ever since the overthrow of the former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, in 2003. Both sides are working on a series of plans to take wide strides in expanding their ties, in economic fields in particular. In July, Iran boosted its power supplies to Iraq and exported 1,139mw of power to its western neighbor./end