Lebanese PM: War in Iraq Allows Radical Forces to Get More Active There

The war in Iraq is creating preconditions for rendering active the region's radical forces that are ready to resort to extremism, said Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, when opening talks in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

"Irrespective of the results of this war, it will obviously increase the number of the embittered who will turn from moderate positions to radicalism," he believes. "More and more forces will be taking this direction," the Lebanese Prime Minister stated.

This situation will "weaken the stand of the peace camp seeking to restore stability," he thinks. Continuation of the war "will endanger stability not only in the Middle East, but also in Russia, Europe and the whole world," Hariri pointed out. When commenting on the progress of the war, he emphasised that though this was only the beginning, "we have already seen significant destruction, the death of civilians, including children".

Hariri especially noted the Russian standpoint in the current situation, stating that "we know Russia as a country that always calls for peace and stability". Although the Lebanon is more concerned with the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute in the Middle East, the war in Iraq is now the focus of everyone's attention, the Prime Minister pointed out.