Nouakchott breaks ties with Iraq, bans pro-Iraq party

Mauritania broke diplomatic ties with Gulf War ally Iraq on Thursday, accusing Baghdad of recruiting agents to destabilise it, news organisations reported. The move followed the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and Mauritania, which was condemned by Iraq and some other members of the Arab world. On Wednesday, Mauritania banned the pro-Iraq Taliaa party, saying it had received orders from Iraq to undermine the government. Information Minister Rachid Ould Saleh told reporters Mauritania’s government had “irrefutable information” that Taliaa had sent party members to Baghdad in October for talks with ranking Iraqi officials. But the French news agency, AFP, quoted a top Taliaa official, Cheikhna Ould Mohamed, as denying on Tuesday the government’s allegation. Talia, a news source told IRIN, had “strong links” to the Baath party of Iraq and adhered to Baathist principles of Pan Arabism.