United Press International,
MOSCOW, Russia: Igor Ivanov, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, made a surprise visit to Baghdad earlier this month. It was the first visit by a high-ranking Russian official to Iraq since the downfall of Saddam Hussein. Before that, only delegates from the countries whose troops were stationed in Iraq visited the country.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said that Ivanov`s visit 'opened up a new perspective' in bilateral relations. The Iraqi authorities will have no reason to complain now that Russian politicians have no interest in seeing what is happening in Iraq with their own eyes. Igor Ivanov wanted to see for himself, and he did — his press conference in Baghdad coincided with a terrorist attack. In fact, the main issue on his agenda was the problem of terrorism.
'We support Iraq`s efforts against terrorism and it can rely on our assistance,' Ivanov said.
Russian government sources told RIA Novosti that Moscow differentiates terrorists from the fighters against occupation in Iraq. However, a clear line that could be drawn between them in the past became almost undistinguishable with time. As a result, Iraqi civilians have become the most frequent victims of terrorist attacks, and their relatives do not care who killed them, terrorists or fighters against the occupation.
But sources say that this does not rule out the possibility of negotiating with the so-called national patriotic forces of Iraq, who are fighting against the occupation forces.
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