Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Iraq govt - different stand on Iran to U.S.
Security, Politics, Region
(Asharq Alawsat) The Iraqi Government has affirmed that there is a clear US position towards Iran and that this position does not necessarily reflect that of its government. Maryam al-Rayyis, the Prime Minister's adviser on foreign relations, said the Iraqi Government and people have deep respect for neighboring countries, including them Iran. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat by telephone to comment on the US accusations against Iran, Al-Rayyis said, "We should separate between the Iraqi Government's stand toward Iran and the American one. The Iraqi Government does not want to be a party in the conflict between this and that country."
On its part, representatives of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr denied receiving any backing or support from Iran. Nassar al-Rubay'i, the spokesman for Al-Sadr bloc in Iraq's parliament, asserted that the Al-Sadr group has no knowledge of any support that Iran gives to any party or armed group in Iraq.
However, Kurdish Deputy Mahmud Uthman did not rule out Iran's support for the Shiite militias in Iraq and said: "There is no doubt that Iran is backing the Shiite militias. They are bound together by old ties." He explained however in a telephone contact with Asharq al-Awsat that the United States has its reasons for these statements, is in dispute with Iran, and "is pinning the reasons of its failure in Iraq on Iran, Syria, and the Iraqi Government." Regarding the presence of sophisticated weapons that the armed groups have started to use in their fight against the American forces in Iraq, the Kurdish deputy said that these did not necessarily come from Iran since the gunmen "can bring them from any other sources like Syria or the former Iraqi army."
Labels: Iran, Iraq, U.S., weapons
