BAGHDAD, Iraq: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki said the task of reconstruction of honorable holy Askariya shrine is a sacred task from legitimate, national and humanitarian aspects.

During his meeting with members of the Commission of Samarra reconstruction, the Prime Minister said that presence of the holy shrine in this (destructed) form is a matter of irritation and a reminder of the heinous bombing, and we want to turn it into an opportunity to unite Iraqis.

He ordered the rebuilding of the holy city of Samarra modernly and demanded from the Defense Minister security for the route of Samarra, and formation of a force for protection of the reconstruction campaign in the city.

He called the Committee to discuss the proposal of building the holy shrine with the money from donors, the funds allocated by UNESCO and the funds allocated by the States for the reconstruction of the city.

Al-Maliki set out priorities of the Commission work: do urgent and rapid protection of the holy graves of Al-Imamayn Al-Askariyain from the rain, pitch a tent to protect the holy shrine, clean from the inside, remove the rubble with the help of professionals and specialists, and to study the possibility of opening it to pilgrims.