Secretary General of Iraqi Muslim Scholars Association: Algeria’s refusal to attend Arab summit in Baghdad is noble

Secretary General of the Muslim Scholars Association Harith Sulayman al-Dari valorised Algeria’s position as it refused to attend an Arab summit due to be held in March in Baghdad.

• Al-Dari conveyed a letter to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, saying Algeria cares about Iraq’s freedom and respects its people’s feeling.
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• Bouteflika will not attend the summit because of the presence of occupation forces in Iraq.
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• “We highly valorise your vision that Iraq is still an occupied country and any official Arab presence on its ground is blessing the occupation. Algeria will not be tolerant with the situation in Iraq,” said the letter which was published on the Internet.
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• The letter came few days after Algerian diplomatic sources had said Algeria would attend the summit provided that the occupation forces leave Iraq.
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• According to the same sources, Algeria’s ambassador to Egypt Abdelkader Hadjar told the Iraqi foreign minister about ths position.
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• Hadajr told the Iraqi minister that Algeria will not attend the summit if the US forces do not withdraw from Iraq. If the summit is held in a neutral place or in the Arab League’s headquarters Egypt, Algeria will change its position. “Algeria believes that Iraq is still occupied. Any official Arab presence on its ground means blessing the occupation,” he said.
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• Algeria has refused to appoint an ambassador in Baghdad since the US occupied Iraq in 2003.