By KUNA
Damascus : Iraq has been burdened with the tragic circumstances left behind by the former dictatorship, during which millions of people were targeted with chemical weapons and massacres, and the country was drawn into wars, said Vice President Adel Abdulmahdi on Sunday.
Speaking at an interjection after Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa read out the Damascus Declaration, he said the deposed leader Saddam Hussein deserved to be held accountable by his people in trial, which extended for more than a year and was broadcast for the whole world to see.
Iraq, he said, was still paying the price for those circumstances, reaffirming that his government was seeking a peaceful state that was governed by law and order.
Abdulmahdi said the political process, despite challenges, was positively developing and the transition toward democracy was in progress, saying that this would allow for reconstructing the country.
The Iraqi people and government are engaged in a fierce war against terrorism and all forms of violence, he said, adding that Iraqi forces were bravely dealing with this situation within their means, in an effort to instill peace and stability in the lives of civilians.
The vice president noted that Iraqis of all religious affiliations agreed in their rejection of terrorism and violence, stressing that the fight against terrorism in his country was not only in the benefit of Iraq, but for all countries in the region.
He added that standing by Iraq in its battle meant that criminal acts should not be covered under any circumstance, saying that Iraq overcame many challenges and difficulties and was able to rid itself of the ghost of a civil or sectarian war.
On the Palestinian issue, he said Iraq was for a just and comprehensive peace based on the Arab initiative, adding that it was time for the Palestinians to stand united and establish their independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital.
As for Lebanon, he said Iraq supported all efforts to end the political crisis in the country.