Iraq, Syria lay plans to reopen border
Despite the ongoing threats from Islamic State militants along the Iraq-Syria border, the two countries are preparing to reopen important crossings.
In an interview with Russia's Sputnik Nov. 1, Syrian Transportation Minister Ali Hammoud said Syria is preparing to open checkpoints on its border with Iraq now that security has returned and is looking forward to working with Iraq on logistics.
The Iraqi government received a request from Syria at the end of October to send a special delegation headed by Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem to discuss reopening the border crossings. Baghdad reportedly welcomed the idea.
Former Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and his Syrian counterpart decided to open the border crossings, especially the strategic Al-Bukamal border crossing, in a Oct. 15 meeting. Jaafari said the crossings between Iraq and Syria had been closed because of “exceptional circumstances” after the Islamic State seized Al-Bukamal city in the Deir ez-Zor countryside. The Syrian army recaptured El-Bukamal Nov. 11, 2017, the most important crossing in the region, linking key Iraqi cities like Haditha and Hit to Syrian cities like Palmyra, Al-Mayadeen and Deir ez-Zor.
Spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and Baghdad Operations Saad Maan told Al-Monitor that despite the presence of IS fighters on the border, “The Iraqi-Syrian borders have indeed been liberated completely.”
