Iraq Assures Diplomatic Missions Regarding Their Security on Its Territory

The Iraqi government sought to reassure diplomatic missions about their security in the country on Saturday, stating that it would not "allow a repeat of the storming of the Swedish embassy." The ministry confirmed in its statement the "full commitment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations between States," reiterating to foreign diplomatic missions that the Iraqi government is responsible for providing protection and security for the diplomatic staff working in all missions. The statement added, "What the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad was subjected to is an act that cannot be allowed to recur... Any similar act will be subject to legal accountability." The statement from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry came a day after hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire in protest against plans to burn a copy of the Quran in Stockholm. Iraq also expelled the Swedish ambassador.