Baghdad blasts Doha's 'Iraq reconciliation' conference

Iraq’s foreign ministry has voiced its displeasure over a conference held last week in Qatar devoted to “national reconciliation” in Iraq, saying the event constituted “blatant interference” in Iraq’s internal affairs.

In a statement, ministry spokesman Ahmad Jamal said the ministry had been “surprised” by the event, which “was held in the Qatari capital Doha without the knowledge of the Iraqi government”.

The spokesman went on to express the ministry’s “condemnation” of the event, which had hosted “individuals accused of supporting terrorism and cooperating with terrorist organisations”.

Attendees of last week’s conference included several Iraqi personalities for whom arrest warrants have been issued by Iraq’s judicial authorities, including former Finance Minister Rafi Al-Issawi and former Vice-President Tareq Al-Hashemi.

Jamal described the conference as “blatant interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and a clear violation of the principles of bilateral relations built on the basis of respect for the sovereignty of states”.

He went on to warn that the event had threatened “to harm the fraternal relations between the Republic of Iraq and the sister state of Qatar”.

“We reject any conference devoted to Iraq’s internal affairs held without the knowledge of the Iraqi government,” he added. “The ministry is awaiting clarification on the subject from the Qatari side.”