Brussels, 17/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 17 July, the European Parliament condemned the attacks of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) against Iraqi citizens, and it condemned ISIL's attacks directed against civilian targets - including hospitals, schools and place of worship. “There should be no impunity for the perpetrators of these acts”, MEPs reiterated. They also said they were seriously concerned about the humanitarian crisis and massive displacement of civilians.
In the joint resolution that the Parliament adopted, MEPs also called on all the political leaders - particularly Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki - “to make sure that an inclusive government is formed as a matter of urgency”. “Such a government should properly represent the political, religious and ethnic diversity of Iraqi society, in order to stop the bloodshed and the fragmentation of the country”, MEPs state. While they support the authorities in the fight against terrorism and against the armed/terrorist groups, MEPs stated that the “security response needs to be combined with a sustainable political solution involving all the components of Iraqi society and addressing their legitimate grievances”. The European Parliament called on the Iraqi government and on all Iraq's political leaders to take the necessary measures to provide security and protection for all people in Iraq.
MEPs called on the regional actors to contribute to the efforts to promote security and stability in Iraq and, in particular, “to encourage the Iraqi government to reach out to the Sunni minority and reorganise the army in an inclusive, non-sectarian and non-partisan way”. The Parliament also called on the international community - especially the EU - to facilitate a regional dialogue on the problems facing the Middle East and to include all significant parties - including Iran and Saudi Arabia. “The EU should develop a comprehensive policy approach to the region”, MEPs added. They reaffirmed the EU's determination to strengthen its relationship with Iraq - especially with the partnership and cooperation agreement. (CG)