Iraq on Saturday sought the help of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in urging all other countries to respect the sovereignty of the violence-ridden nation.

Addressing a NAM summit in Havana, Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi urged the 116-member organization to call on all countries to recognize the sovereignty of Iraq's land and airspace.

"Life has degenerated" in Iraq and "a war machine has destroyed the infrastructure," inflicting sufferings on Iraqis, al-Hashimi said.

Iraq remains a NAM member despite the military presence of some 130,000 U.S. troops in the country, he said.

Iraq hopes for the departure of U.S.-led multinational forces, but it is also afraid of a security vacuum "that could not be handled by national forces," he added.

Source: Xinhua