Iraqi F.Ministry reveals reasons for taking over Qatari funds

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that receiving the Qatari funds entered into Iraq is in the fight against kidnapping and the promotion of financial extortion, calling for coordination between the countries of the region and the world against terrorism.

"Common challenges on the economic and security levels have become a common responsibility of all countries," Ahmed Jamal, spokesman for the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Iraq "took over" the funds, which entered "illegitimately without the knowledge of the Iraqi government," the statement added.

The statement added that the prevention of the repetition of the same case to protect the Iraqi and foreign citizens in future and to stand against such "dangerous" trend.

It stated that the Qatari hunters entered with official visas before one year and a half, but "their visit was clearly in serious and critical circumstances", which affected the security scene in the country that resulted in the kidnapping case.

Earlier, Iraqi Premier Haidar al-Ibadi disclosed that he "did not approve" the entry of the Qatari hunters, pointing that giving hundreds of millions of dollars to armed groups is "unacceptable".

Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said that Baghdad had been consulted about the money he said was sent "to support the authorities in the release of Qatari abductees". "Qatar has provided funds to Iraq in an official, clear and public manner," Sheikh Mohammed said. "Qatar did not deal with armed groups outside the authority of the (Iraqi) state," he added.