(MEMRI) A source in the National Alliance of various Shi'a groups in Iraq that support Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has told the London daily al-Sharq al-Awsat that "Iran has pressured its allies in Baghdad to support the Syrian authorities with $10 billion." He said that al-Maliki had "succumbed to the pressure and provided financial support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad." According to the same source, Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad Hassan Dana'i Fer carried a verbal message from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Brigade commander Gen. Qassim Suleimani (who is rumored to be one of the most influential figures in Baghdad) to the leaders of the National Alliance to provide $10 billion in financial support to the Syrian leader.
2011-08-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive