Sep 5, 2009, 12:32 GMT
Baghdad - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attacked on Saturday the neighbouring countries which 'provide shelter for criminals' - referring to Syria, which Baghdad accuses of giving sanctuary to Baathists involved in terror attacks in Iraq.
Al-Maliki said that those 'shelter criminals will pay a high price.' He was giving a speech while attending ceremonies in the holy Shiite city of Karbala to distribute land to the families of political prisoners and martyrs.
'They (Baathists) will not come back to power, nor their dark days,' al-Maliki was quoted by the Voices of Iraq news agency as saying.
'Force can be achieved when the people stand by the government,' al-Maliki said, adding that some Iraqis forget what 'the murderers have done in Iraq.'
Baghdad accuses Damascus of giving sanctuary to Iraqi former Baathist leaders involved in the deadly blasts that shook Baghdad and left more than 100 killed and 1200 injured.
Syria and Iraq each recalled their ambassadors after Iraqi authorities demanded that Damascus turn over two suspects.
As tensions between heightened between the two neighbours, Iraqi authorities have deployed additional national police to the border with Syria to prevent fighters from entering the country.
Since the US-led invasion in 2003, Baghdad and Washington have repeatedly accused Damascus of not doing enough to curb the flow of fighters into Iraq.
Your Talkback on this Story