–Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki confirmed, in a telephone conversation with US Vice President Joe Biden, his opposition to "use force to settle the Syrian crisis."

A statement by Maliki's office, received by (AIN) on Monday, cited that “Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki received a phone call from the US Vice President Joe Biden on Monday evening and both discussed different issues in the region.”

“Maliki repeated his calls to enhance the efforts to find peaceful solutions to the
crises in the regional countries,” the statement added.

The statement also mentioned that “PM Maliki assured his opposition to use violence and force to resolve the Syrian crisis and renewed his refusal to smuggle weapons to Syria and called to strengthen the security procedures and to enhance surveillance on the borders to pave the way for solving the Syrian crises and spare the lives of its people.”

The US VP Joe Biden assured according to the statement “The US opposes arming any part in Syria,” stressing that “The US is ready to support releiving Iraq of the UN Charter's seventh chapter through solving the issues between Iraq and Kuwait that deny achieving this step.”