Baghdad, Sep 4 (IANS): Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Wednesday launched a new peace initiative to end the Syrian crisis and called on the Arab countries and the world to back his plan.

Maliki said in his weekly statement that his nine-point initiative is a modified version of Iraq's former peace plan, which was rejected by the Syrian opposition last year, Xinhua reported.

The plan includes a series of proposals like stopping arming both sides of the conflict, withdrawal of all foreign fighters, supporting investigation into the use of chemical weapons and rejection of military intervention in Syria, as well as establishing a fund for the return of Syrian refugees.

Maliki said that the Syrian administration and the opposition must be committed to negotiations under Arab and international supervision, and added the Syrians must agree to a roadmap to form an interim government that would include both the government and the opposition.

In August 2012, Maliki submitted a peace plan during his participation in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran, but it was rejected by the Syrian opposition.

Iraq has been on its highest alert since last week ahead of a possible strike on neighbouring Syria for the alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in Damascus suburbs that killed hundreds of people.