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US committing 'massacre' in Iraq: Iran
Iran accused US-led forces on Monday of a massacre of the Iraqi people and said further talks with Washington about improving security in its neighbour would be meaningless now. The Foreign Ministry statement effectively puts on hold any new meetings between the two old foes, which last year held three rounds of discussions in Baghdad, easing a diplomatic freeze lasting almost three decades. It also voiced support for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in cracking down on illegal militias, after an Iraqi delegation urged Tehran to stop backing such groups. Washington accuses Iran of funding, arming and training Iraqi militias to attack US and Iraqi government forces, despite its public commitment to stabilising Iraq. Tehran blames the violence on the US presence in Iraq. Despite the mutual accusations, US and Iranian officials launched talks in May last year aimed at easing the bloodshed. A fourth meeting has been postponed repeatedly. Right now, what we observe in Iraq is a massacre of the Iraqi nation by the occupying forces, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a news conference. On Sunday, in response to earlier remarks by an unnamed Iranian official who said Tehran saw no need for more talks because of US military action, the Iraqi governments spokesman said this should not concern Tehran. Posted by: Fred 2008-05-06 |
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