"We emphasise our commitment to protect the Iraqi territory and the Iraqi borders, to protect Iraq from any terrorist attacks, and keep Iraq out of the war," says Iraqi foreign minister Fuad Hussein during a joint press conference in Baghdad with his Iranian and Syrian counterparts Abbas Araghchi and Bassam al-Sabbagh. Araghchi and al-Sabbagh's visits to Iraq come as Syria is in the throes of a shock offensive that has seen rebel forces capture key cities from President Bashar al-Assad's government. SOUNDBITE