Tehran, 2007 Oct 24, IRIB/MNA

"Iraq would never be disintegrated," the former Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim Jafari told IRIB on Tuesday.

Despite the current insecurity, Iraq would not be disintegrated as there are many cultural, ethnic and religious bonds between different Iraqi tribes, Jafari noted.

Jafari underlined that there are deep familial, cultural and religious bonds between Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Arabs in the country.

Many girls and boys, Shia, Sunni, Arab or Kurd, have married irrespective of the other couple's religion or sect, creating deep inter-familial bonds. It is impossible to take them apart, he added.

The issue discredits the idea of disintegration of Iraq into Shia, Kurd and Sunni regions, Jafari reiterated.

Jafari noted that the idea of federal system has not been rejected in the country's Constitution, adding that the issue if implemented, will further empower Iraq's political and economic interests.

Jafari underlined that Islam and the revered Shia Imams call for unity among Islamic sects. "No Iraqi Muslim desires Iraq to be disintegrated.

Jafari described the issue of security in Iraq as very complicated, adding that the Iraqi insecurity is rooted in numerous domestic and foreign factors."

Cooperation of the regional countries and international communities can solve the problem, he reiterated.

Jafari blamed the presence of foreign forces, especially Americans, for the increasing insecurity in Iraq, noting that their presence must end some day and a deadline should be determined for their withdrawal.

The Iraqi political figure assessed as positive the efforts carried out by domestic forces to increase security in Iraq.

"Besides the efforts of Maliki's government to increase security, the Shia and Sunni Ulema have played a key role in the field by inviting people to unity," he underlined.

On Iran-Iraq relations, he stated that the friendship between the two countries is “inseparable.”

The national interests of Iran and Iraq are ‘intertwined' and the U.S. can not harm the friendly relations between them, Jafari added.