Monday, October 08, 2007
Iran reopens border crossings with Iraqi Kurdistan
Region
(AP) - Iran reopened five border crossing points with Kurdish-run northern Iraq on Monday, closed last month by Tehran to protest the U.S. detention of an Iranian official. The Iranian border points were closed Sept. 24 to protest the U.S. detention of an Iranian official. The U.S. military has said the official was a member of the paramilitary Quds Force, a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards that is accused of providing arms and training to Shiite extremists.
The border points were reopened after a Kurdish delegation traveled to Iran to complain the region should not be punished for something the Americans did. Iraqi and Iranian authorities have claimed that the detained Iranian, Mahmoud Farhadi, was in Iraq on official business and demanded his release. A spokesman for the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, Jamal Abdullah, said he hoped the resumed flow of traffic and goods would help rising prices plaguing the region since the closures.
The reopening is in the "economic interests of both countries," Abdullah said, adding that Tehran and Baghdad share the responsibility to "prevent gunmen from having access to either side of the border." U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus claimed this weekend that the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, was a member of the Quds Force.
"The Quds Force controls the policy for Iraq; there should be no confusion about that either," Petraeus told CNN and other reporters during a trip to a military base on the Iranian border. "The ambassador is a Quds Force member. Now he has diplomatic immunity and therefore he is obviously not subject (to an investigation) and he is acting as a diplomat."
Petraeus did not provide details on how he knew that Qomi, who has held talks in Baghdad with U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, belonged to the Quds Force. The Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations. "These are not new comments. Similar accusations were raised, formerly. It is baseless and not right," ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters in Tehran.
The Iraqis have found themselves caught between two allies as they struggle to balance the interests of the U.S. military, their main sponsor, and Iran, a major regional ally. Iran holds considerable sway in Iraq: Both countries have majority Shiite populations, and many members of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling Shiite bloc have close ties with Tehran.
The border points were reopened after a Kurdish delegation traveled to Iran to complain the region should not be punished for something the Americans did. Iraqi and Iranian authorities have claimed that the detained Iranian, Mahmoud Farhadi, was in Iraq on official business and demanded his release. A spokesman for the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, Jamal Abdullah, said he hoped the resumed flow of traffic and goods would help rising prices plaguing the region since the closures.
The reopening is in the "economic interests of both countries," Abdullah said, adding that Tehran and Baghdad share the responsibility to "prevent gunmen from having access to either side of the border." U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus claimed this weekend that the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, was a member of the Quds Force.
"The Quds Force controls the policy for Iraq; there should be no confusion about that either," Petraeus told CNN and other reporters during a trip to a military base on the Iranian border. "The ambassador is a Quds Force member. Now he has diplomatic immunity and therefore he is obviously not subject (to an investigation) and he is acting as a diplomat."
Petraeus did not provide details on how he knew that Qomi, who has held talks in Baghdad with U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, belonged to the Quds Force. The Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations. "These are not new comments. Similar accusations were raised, formerly. It is baseless and not right," ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters in Tehran.
The Iraqis have found themselves caught between two allies as they struggle to balance the interests of the U.S. military, their main sponsor, and Iran, a major regional ally. Iran holds considerable sway in Iraq: Both countries have majority Shiite populations, and many members of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling Shiite bloc have close ties with Tehran.
Labels: border, General David Petraeus, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iranian detainee, Kurdistan, Mahmoud Farhadi, Quds Force
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Iran - Iraq trade on the rise
Trade
(Press TV) - 97 percent of the $2 billion worth of bilateral trade with Iraq consists of Iranian exports to that country, Iran's envoy to Baghdad says. Iran has a significant potential to participate in Iraq's reconstruction, the Iranian ambassador, Hassan Kazemi Qomi said, adding that presently the contracts to build Baghdad's 300 Megawatt power plant and 2 pipelines to transfer 350 thousand barrels of crude oil per day from Basra to Abadan are also underway.
The 400 Megawatt electricity power transmission line from Abadan to Al-Hares is among the most important projects being implemented by Iran, Kazemi Qomi said. Iran's ambassador to Iraq noted that Iran's Pars Wagon Company has adequate capabilities to have a positive role in development of Iraq's rail network.
Signing 65 other technical cooperation documents for the expansion of Iraq's railroad is among the future cooperation in this field. The Iranian envoy referred to these projects as a clear sign of Iran's willingness to contribute to Iraq's reconstruction, mentioning that Iranian pilgrims visit to Iraq by train is another important issue.
The 400 Megawatt electricity power transmission line from Abadan to Al-Hares is among the most important projects being implemented by Iran, Kazemi Qomi said. Iran's ambassador to Iraq noted that Iran's Pars Wagon Company has adequate capabilities to have a positive role in development of Iraq's rail network.
Signing 65 other technical cooperation documents for the expansion of Iraq's railroad is among the future cooperation in this field. The Iranian envoy referred to these projects as a clear sign of Iran's willingness to contribute to Iraq's reconstruction, mentioning that Iranian pilgrims visit to Iraq by train is another important issue.
Labels: crude oil, electricity, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iraq, Pars Wagon Company, rail links, trade
Monday, May 28, 2007
U.S.-Iran security talks on Iraq start
Politics, Region, Security
(RFE/RL) - U.S. and Iranian diplomats today opened talks in Baghdad focused on stabilizing Iraq. The talks -- between the U.S. and Iranian ambassadors to Iraq, Ryan Crocker and Hassan Kazemi-Qomi -- mark the highest-level official bilateral talks between the United States and Iran since diplomatic ties between the two countries were broken 27 years ago, after Iran's Islamic Revolution and the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Officials have said the talks will focus on Iraq only, and no discussion is expected on the Iranian nuclear program. Concerning the situation in Iraq, the United States has accused Iran of fomenting violence there by arming and funding militias. Iran has said that peace cannot emerge in Iraq until U.S. forces leave.
Ahead of the meeting, Iran on May 27 accused the United States of operating "spy networks" seeking to commit sabotage on Iranian territory. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents U.S. interests in Iran, to condemn what it said was U.S. intelligence services' "hostile interference" in Iran's affairs.
The United States has said it does not respond to allegations about intelligence matters. On May 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said the United States must change its strategy in Iraq and admit its "wrong policies" there if the talks are to succeed.
Officials have said the talks will focus on Iraq only, and no discussion is expected on the Iranian nuclear program. Concerning the situation in Iraq, the United States has accused Iran of fomenting violence there by arming and funding militias. Iran has said that peace cannot emerge in Iraq until U.S. forces leave.
Ahead of the meeting, Iran on May 27 accused the United States of operating "spy networks" seeking to commit sabotage on Iranian territory. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents U.S. interests in Iran, to condemn what it said was U.S. intelligence services' "hostile interference" in Iran's affairs.
The United States has said it does not respond to allegations about intelligence matters. On May 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said the United States must change its strategy in Iraq and admit its "wrong policies" there if the talks are to succeed.
Labels: Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iraq, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Hundreds of Fadhila supporters demonstrate against Sadrists
Security, Politics
(International Herald Tribune) - For the second time this week, a demonstration was held in southern Iraq on Saturday underlying the fierce rivalry between two Shiite groups vying for influence as Britain prepares to reduce its forces in the region. Hundreds of supporters of the Shiite Fadhila party gathered in the southern city of Nasiriyah to protest a demonstration that 3,000 Iraqis believed to be followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had held earlier this week in Basra to demand the resignation of its provincial governor because of poor city services and alleged corruption in that southern city, Iraq's second largest.
Fighters allied with al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and the Fadhila party often clash with one another in mostly Shiite southern Iraq, and last month a dozen people were wounded in such fighting. Saturday's Fadhila protesters issued a statement defending Basra Gov. Mohammed al-Waili, a Fadhila member, and warning his opponents to back down. "We will hold demonstrations, sit-ins and confrontations, if needed," the statement said.
Al-Waili has said he fears that demonstrators plan to storm his office and kill him, then take control of government banks and a state-run oil company in the oil-rich Basra region. On Tuesday, Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Shiite Hassan Kazemi Qomi, went to the holy Shiite city of Najaf in southern Iraq and met with Grand Ayatollah Mohammed al-Yaqoubi, the spiritual leader of the Fadhila party, in an apparent effort to reduce tensions in the Basra area.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani also have urged Shiite religious and political leaders in southern Iraq to ban demonstrations in an effort to keep the area calm as it passes through a difficult period of transition.
Fighters allied with al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and the Fadhila party often clash with one another in mostly Shiite southern Iraq, and last month a dozen people were wounded in such fighting. Saturday's Fadhila protesters issued a statement defending Basra Gov. Mohammed al-Waili, a Fadhila member, and warning his opponents to back down. "We will hold demonstrations, sit-ins and confrontations, if needed," the statement said.
Al-Waili has said he fears that demonstrators plan to storm his office and kill him, then take control of government banks and a state-run oil company in the oil-rich Basra region. On Tuesday, Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Shiite Hassan Kazemi Qomi, went to the holy Shiite city of Najaf in southern Iraq and met with Grand Ayatollah Mohammed al-Yaqoubi, the spiritual leader of the Fadhila party, in an apparent effort to reduce tensions in the Basra area.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani also have urged Shiite religious and political leaders in southern Iraq to ban demonstrations in an effort to keep the area calm as it passes through a difficult period of transition.
Labels: Fadhela party, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed al-Yaqoubi, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Mahdi Army, Mohammed al-Waili, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Najaf, Nasiriyah
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Talabani meets Iranian ambassador in Baghdad
Iran, Politics
(VOI) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Monday received the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad Hassan Kazemi Qomi. Talabani's office said in a statement that the two sides discussed the political process in Iraq and efforts made by the Iraqi government to impose law and security and Iraq's neighboring countries' role, mainly Iran's, to realize that purpose."President Talabani highlighted the importance of boosting bilateral ties within the regional condition for the good of the two peoples," the statement added.
Earlier, Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdel Mahdi had also met with the ambassador and discussed ways to foster bilateral relations, mainly in the economic fields and Iran's important contribution in implementing energy and oil projects in Iraq. The Iranian diplomat reiterated his country's readiness to support Iraqi people and government in various domains which positively affect security and stability of the country, the statement noted.
Labels: Adel Abdel Mahdi, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Jalal Talabani
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Iran - U.K. navy personnel being treated 'humanely'
Iran, Security, Politics, U.K.
(AP) - Iran said Tuesday the 15 British sailors and marines it detained last week are healthy, have been treated in a humane manner and that the only female sailor among them had been given privacy. Hosseini would not say where the Britons were being kept and reiterated that their case is under investigation.
Iran has said it is questioning the British sailors and marines to determine if their alleged entry into Iranian waters was "intentional or unintentional" before deciding what to do with them, the first sign it could be seeking a way out of the standoff. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday he hopes diplomacy will win their release but is prepared to move to a "different phase" if not.
Asked what that meant, Blair replied: "Well, we will just have to see, but what they should understand is that we cannot have a situation where our servicemen and women are seized when actually they are in Iraqi waters under a U.N. mandate."
With the precise Iran, Iraq border line in the Shatt al-Arab in dispute, the fate of the 15 Britons may depend on Iran's interpretation of their intent and whether they strayed across the frontier by accident. On Saturday, Iran's military chief, Gen. Ali Reza Afshar had said the 15 confessed to "aggression into the Islamic Republic of Iran's waters." But Deputy Foreign Minister Mehzi Mostafavi took a softer line Monday. "It should become clear whether their entry was intentional or unintentional. After that is clarified, the necessary decision will be made," Mostafavi said.
Iran has refused to allow British officials to speak with the service members. But the official Iranian news agency said Iranian officials have told the British that their diplomats can see the 15 after the investigation is concluded.
There were fears in Britain that the fate of the 15 could get caught up in the political tensions between Tehran and the West, including the dispute over Iran's nuclear program and accusations of Iranian help to Shiite militants in Iraq. In particular, there were worries Iran might seek to use the prisoners as leverage in trying to get the U.S. to free at least five Iranians detained in Iraq for allegedly being part of a Revolutionary Guard force. Mostafavi denied Iran was seeking a trade, but there were calls from elsewhere within Iran's leadership for the government to hold out for a swap.
Some members of the Iranian public also called for the British sailors and marines to be held and tried. Hundreds of Iranian students demonstrated near the coast to urge a tough stand. Calls for the release of the Britons also came from the European Union, Iraq and the United States, under whose command the military search team was serving. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the personnel were seized in Iraqi waters and should be released.
Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Baghdad there was no connection between the capture and other disputes.
Iran has said it is questioning the British sailors and marines to determine if their alleged entry into Iranian waters was "intentional or unintentional" before deciding what to do with them, the first sign it could be seeking a way out of the standoff. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday he hopes diplomacy will win their release but is prepared to move to a "different phase" if not.
Asked what that meant, Blair replied: "Well, we will just have to see, but what they should understand is that we cannot have a situation where our servicemen and women are seized when actually they are in Iraqi waters under a U.N. mandate."
With the precise Iran, Iraq border line in the Shatt al-Arab in dispute, the fate of the 15 Britons may depend on Iran's interpretation of their intent and whether they strayed across the frontier by accident. On Saturday, Iran's military chief, Gen. Ali Reza Afshar had said the 15 confessed to "aggression into the Islamic Republic of Iran's waters." But Deputy Foreign Minister Mehzi Mostafavi took a softer line Monday. "It should become clear whether their entry was intentional or unintentional. After that is clarified, the necessary decision will be made," Mostafavi said.
Iran has refused to allow British officials to speak with the service members. But the official Iranian news agency said Iranian officials have told the British that their diplomats can see the 15 after the investigation is concluded.
There were fears in Britain that the fate of the 15 could get caught up in the political tensions between Tehran and the West, including the dispute over Iran's nuclear program and accusations of Iranian help to Shiite militants in Iraq. In particular, there were worries Iran might seek to use the prisoners as leverage in trying to get the U.S. to free at least five Iranians detained in Iraq for allegedly being part of a Revolutionary Guard force. Mostafavi denied Iran was seeking a trade, but there were calls from elsewhere within Iran's leadership for the government to hold out for a swap.
Some members of the Iranian public also called for the British sailors and marines to be held and tried. Hundreds of Iranian students demonstrated near the coast to urge a tough stand. Calls for the release of the Britons also came from the European Union, Iraq and the United States, under whose command the military search team was serving. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the personnel were seized in Iraqi waters and should be released.
Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Baghdad there was no connection between the capture and other disputes.
Labels: Blair, British navy, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Mehzi Mostafavi, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Shatt al-Arab
