Reuters, Washington, September 25 – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani warns that Iraq can "make trouble" for its neighbors if they do not stop interfering in his country’s internal affairs.
In an interview to air on National Public Radio on Tuesday, Talabani said Syria, Iran and Turkey were interfering and warned that Iraq’s patience was wearing thin.
"We are asking them to stop interfering in our internal affairs and respect the sovereignty and independence of Iraq otherwise we will be obliged to say something," Talabani said in excerpts of the interview released on Monday.
President Bush also has accused Syria and Iran of interfering in Iraqi affairs and pressed them to halt the flow of militants through their borders.
Asked what Iraq would do if the interfering continues, Talabani said his people would respond in kind.
"The Iraqi people will respond in the same way, we’ll support the opposition of other countries, will try to make trouble for them as they are doing for us," he said.
"We can do it in Iran, in Syria, in Turkey, but we are not doing it," Talabani said. "Our policy is not to interfere in the internal affairs of these countries and ask them and beg them not to interfere in our internal affairs because it creates chaos in the Middle East."
