Thursday, August 09, 2007
Iran - U.S. withdrawal will end violence in Iraq
Regional
(Reuters) - An end to violence in Iraq depends on the United States withdrawing its troops, Iran told Iraq's prime minister on Thursday, seeking to deflect the blame for bloodshed that Washington directs at Tehran. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, facing deepening political woes at home and U.S. criticism for lack of progress in bridging sectarian divisions, won pledges of support from Shi'ite Iran during a visit to Tehran.
With Shi'ite Muslims now in power also in Baghdad, ties between the two oil-rich countries have improved since U.S.-led forces in 2003 toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Arab who waged an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s. But the U.S. military accuses the Islamic Republic of arming and training militias behind some of the violence threatening to tear Iraq apart. Iran rejects the charge and blames the presence of U.S. forces, now numbering about 162,000, for the bloodshed.
Baghdad has urged both countries to negotiate and not fight out their differences on Iraqi soil. "We regard Iraq's security as our own security and that of the region," Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi told Maliki as he was leaving Tehran, the IRNA news agency said. "Establishment of stability and calm in Iraq depends on ... the withdrawal of the occupying forces and an end to their interferences in Iraq and also on the authority of the government of Mr Maliki," Davoudi said.
With Shi'ite Muslims now in power also in Baghdad, ties between the two oil-rich countries have improved since U.S.-led forces in 2003 toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Arab who waged an eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s. But the U.S. military accuses the Islamic Republic of arming and training militias behind some of the violence threatening to tear Iraq apart. Iran rejects the charge and blames the presence of U.S. forces, now numbering about 162,000, for the bloodshed.
Baghdad has urged both countries to negotiate and not fight out their differences on Iraqi soil. "We regard Iraq's security as our own security and that of the region," Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi told Maliki as he was leaving Tehran, the IRNA news agency said. "Establishment of stability and calm in Iraq depends on ... the withdrawal of the occupying forces and an end to their interferences in Iraq and also on the authority of the government of Mr Maliki," Davoudi said.
The Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals announced on Tuesday that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday with the Iranian Ministry of Industry, according which Iran will grant US$1 billion to develop the ministry's facilities.
Labels: Iran, Iranian Ministry of Industry, Nouri Al-Maliki, Parviz Davoudi, U.S. troop withdrawal
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Al-Hashimi to visit Ahmadinejad
Politics, Region
(CNN) Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi will meet Monday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran, according to al-Hashimi's office. It is al-Hashimi's first visit to Iran. He is the head of the Iraqi Islamic Party, part of the Iraqi parliament's largest Sunni Arab political bloc. He is one of two vice presidents in Iraq. Iran, like Iraq, is majority Shiite Muslim. On Sunday, al-Hashimi met with his Iranian counterpart, Parviz Davoudi.
According to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, Davoudi expressed his country's support for a stable and strong Iraq to the visiting delegation. The report said the Iraqi vice president also had positive words about Tehran's role in Iraq. "Al-Hashimi, for his part, expressed gratitude to the Iranian government and nation for going the 'extra mile' to help solve Iraq's problems and for their concern for the people at this time of crisis," according to the IRNA report.
Al-Hashimi arrived in Tehran on Sunday, a day after Iraq hosted a Baghdad security conference attended by Iran and other neighboring countries as well as representatives from the United Nations and United States. Iran's role in Iraq has been criticized by the United States, which says the regime in Tehran has not done enough to stop the flow of weapons into Iraq. The U.S. military says it has evidence those weapons are ending up in the hands of Shiite insurgent groups.
On Sunday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told CNN that he was misquoted by IRNA, which reported that he praised Iran's "constructive" role in Iraq. While acknowledging that Iran has a role in Iraq's future, Zebari said, "The message I gave them yesterday [Saturday] is not to turn Iraq into a battlefield for settling scores with the United States or any other countries at our cost." He said he confronted the Iranian delegates during bilateral meetings at Saturday's conference about "intelligence that weapons, people, some support is coming across the border from the Iranian side."
According to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, Davoudi expressed his country's support for a stable and strong Iraq to the visiting delegation. The report said the Iraqi vice president also had positive words about Tehran's role in Iraq. "Al-Hashimi, for his part, expressed gratitude to the Iranian government and nation for going the 'extra mile' to help solve Iraq's problems and for their concern for the people at this time of crisis," according to the IRNA report.
Al-Hashimi arrived in Tehran on Sunday, a day after Iraq hosted a Baghdad security conference attended by Iran and other neighboring countries as well as representatives from the United Nations and United States. Iran's role in Iraq has been criticized by the United States, which says the regime in Tehran has not done enough to stop the flow of weapons into Iraq. The U.S. military says it has evidence those weapons are ending up in the hands of Shiite insurgent groups.
On Sunday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told CNN that he was misquoted by IRNA, which reported that he praised Iran's "constructive" role in Iraq. While acknowledging that Iran has a role in Iraq's future, Zebari said, "The message I gave them yesterday [Saturday] is not to turn Iraq into a battlefield for settling scores with the United States or any other countries at our cost." He said he confronted the Iranian delegates during bilateral meetings at Saturday's conference about "intelligence that weapons, people, some support is coming across the border from the Iranian side."
Labels: Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Iran, Iraqi Islamic Party, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Parviz Davoudi, Tariq al-Hashimi
