Leaders of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting here next week will condemn Israel for its attack on Syria last weekend, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said today.

Syed Hamid, whose country hosts the tri-annual OIC summit Oct 16-18, said the recent air raid on Syria demonstrated that Israel had "carte blanche" to act on its own volition in the name of security.

"If Israel is not condemned by the world community in its aggressiveness, it will see no incentive to peace," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

"The question of peace and security cannot be separated. You cannot have security without peace."

Iraqi issue

Syria, one of the OIC's 57 members, asked the UN Security Council Sunday to condemn the Israeli attack north of Damascus, but the council adjourned without a vote.

Israel said the camp was used by the Islamic Jihad and Hamas groups responsible for a string of suicide attacks within the country and said the raid was part of its anti-terror fight. Syria said the area was populated by civilians, while the militant groups denied they had bases in the area.

Another top priority at the summit in the new Malaysian government capital Putrajaya would be the Iraq conflict and its aftermath, Syed Hamid said.

"The trouble in Iraq is not over yet and instability remains," he said.

Syed Hamid said Malaysia would like to see greater UN involvement in the reconstruction and restoration of Iraq. - AFP