BAGHDAD
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday warned that terrorism would proliferate across the world if the conflict in Syria did not soon come to an end.
"If the war in Syria doesn't end, terrorism will move to all countries of the world," al-Maliki said in his keynote speech at an international counter-terrorism conference that kicked off Thursday in Baghdad.
Syria, he said, "has turned into a hotbed of terrorist activity, which has also helped terrorists enter Iraq."
Al-Maliki went on to slam certain countries – without naming them – for promoting the misconception that Iraq was in the throes of a "Sunni-Shiite war."
What was really happening, he argued, was "a battle against terror, which seeks to destroy Iraq and other countries."
"Those who stand idly by as terrorism occurs are accomplices in the crimes committed by terrorist groups and should bear the responsibility before history," al-Maliki added.
The conference was attended by various Arab and foreign countries. But Saudi Arabia and Qatar did not send representatives to the event – despite having been formally invited by Iraq – amid ongoing tensions between the two Gulf States and Baghdad.
Wathiq al-Hashimi, a member of the conference's media committee, said that Riyadh and Doha had neither sent representatives nor apologized for not attending.
Earlier this week, al-Maliki accused both Saudi and Qatar of supporting terrorism in Iraq.
By Aref Youssef
englishnews@aa.com.tr
