Iraq to re-open borders with Iran, Syria for limited hours

Above: An Iraqi border official and his Iranian counterpart check the passports of two Iranian women at the Munthriya border crossing point

BAGHDAD, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Iraq will re-open its borders with Iran and Syria, closed earlier this week in the initial stages of a security crackdown, a spokesman for the officer overseeing the plan said on Saturday.

"Seventy-two hours have passed and the borders will gradually re-open, but it will take 60 days for the border crossings to return to normal," Brigadier Qassim Moussawi said, without specifying exactly when they would be reopened.

Moussawi said the borders would be open for a limited number of hours each day, under close scrutiny. They were closed on Wednesday.

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