Basra: Basra tribal sheikhs, the Iraqi Maritime Organization, and labor organizations, unions, and syndicates strongly rejected the final statement issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council Ministerial Council during its session yesterday. They expressed their condemnation of the Council’s statement, which called on Iraq to respect what it described as “Kuwait’s rights.”
According to National Iraqi News Agency, they affirmed in a statement: “We see in this statement a clear and unjustified bias in favor of Kuwait and an unacceptable interference in Iraqi affairs, especially in light of the tireless efforts made by the Iraqi state, supported by the will of its people, to build bridges of brotherhood and good neighborliness with all its brothers in the Gulf and the region.”
The statement added: “Iraq, its land, people, and history, does not accept dictates and does not allow its sovereignty to be belittled. It is always keen to respect international agreements and UN charters. However, at the same time, as social activists and a broad spectrum of Iraqis, we reject any rhetoric or position that unfairly burdens Iraq with responsibilities or overlooks repeated Kuwaiti violations, especially with regard to the issue of borders and territorial waters, which still requires just solutions that preserve Iraq’s full rights.”
The statement explained: “Resolution 833, which Kuwait is relying on, was not a legal decision, but rather a political one in which Kuwait played a clear role. Nevertheless, Iraq respected Resolution 833 of 1993, which refers to UN Security Council Resolution 687 of 1961 and affirms a return to the 1963 border demarcation. It explained, “The border between the two countries is the one to be determined, but unfortunately, Kuwait has gone too far in expanding its border beyond what was approved by the Security Council, despite the grave injustice against Iraq. It is now seeking another expansion, extending its land and maritime borders deep into Iraqi territory and international waters, to strangle Iraq and destroy it economically. This is something we as Iraqis strongly reject.”
The statement called on the Gulf Cooperation Council not to interfere with the decisions of the Iraqi Federal Court, which saw the interest of its people in rejecting the unfair and harmful agreement against Iraq. It also stated that the decisions of the Iraqi judiciary are final and binding on all authorities, and that interference in the constitutional judiciary is not permissible.
They also demanded that the Gulf Cooperation Council review its recent speech, maintain an equal distance from all parties, and refrain from repeating biased positions that negatively impact the prospects for stability and deepening relations between the peoples of the region.
The statement affirmed full support for the Iraqi Federal Court’s decision rejecting the agreement regulating navigation in Khor Abdullah and its rejection of any concession of any inch of Iraq’s borders with any neighboring countries. The Iraqi side of the Khor (land and water) also reiterated its request to the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic to withdraw the appeal submitted to the court and submit the rejection to the United Nations in order to protect Iraq’s sovereignty on land, sea, and air.