Iran "making mistake" with Iraq meddling-Rumsfeld
10 Feb 2006 18:13:23 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Will Dunham
TAORMINA, Sicily, Feb 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld, days after calling Iran the world's top state sponsor of
terrorism, ratcheted up the pressure on Tehran on Friday with fresh
accusations of interference in Iraq.
Rumsfeld, in Taormina, Sicily, for a meeting of NATO defence ministers,
used an appearance in Europe for the second time in a week to talk tough
over Iran, which the United States and European Union fear is covertly
developing nuclear weapons.
Asked during a news conference about U.S. assertions that Iran, as well as
Syria, supports insurgents in Iraq, Rumsfeld said: "We have undertaken a
series of initiatives to try to persuade them that their behaviour is
harmful to a new Iraqi government and indeed harmful to the region. Thus
far we've not been successful."
"I think they're making a mistake," Rumsfeld said, "although I can
certainly understand that from their standpoint having a free and
sovereign and democratic Iraq on their borders probably is not terribly
encouraging to their type of government. So I can understand their
resistance to that."
Rumsfeld did not make specific allegations of misconduct by either Iran or
Syria relating to Iraq. In the past, U.S. officials have accused heavily
Shi'ite Muslim Iran of encouraging radicalism among Iraq's majority
Shi'ites and of allowing dangerous weaponry to pass into Iraq.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said such accusations are
unfounded.
U.S. officials have also accused Syria of allowing foreign fighters and
financing to flow across its border into Iraq. Syria says it is doing what
it can and says Iraq and the United States have failed to control their
own side of the border.
The United States has about 139,000 troops in Iraq fighting a tenacious
insurgency nearly three years into the war.
IRAN NUCLEAR AMBITIONS DISCUSSED
Rumsfeld said that during a private meeting with Russian Defence Minister
Sergei Ivanov in Taormina, the subject of Iran's nuclear ambitions came
up, but refused to elaborate.
"I'm not going to get into substance of my conversation. It was a private
meeting," Rumsfeld said.
At an annual security conference in Munich last Saturday, Rumsfeld accused
Iran of being the world's "leading state sponsor of terrorism", a charge
Iran swiftly rejected.
Iran has announced it would resume enrichment of nuclear fuel after the
governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency voted last
weekend to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear
programme.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is aimed at generating electricity, but
the United States and European countries have said it is seeking to build
an atomic arsenal.
On the issue of Iran, British Defence Secretary John Reid said the resolve
of Western powers should not be underestimated. "We must never, ever be in
the position where ... we would never be prepared to stand up for what we
believe in," Reid told a separate news conference.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N11304669.htm
__________
The pseudo-rationalization for preemptive US and/or Israeli air strikes
continues to build momentum in the mainstream press.
It's ironic to hear Rummy tell the world how Iran is making a big mistake
influencing Iraqi politics, when anyone with half a friggin' brain
would've known about the prior Iranian influence on the Shi'ite
population -- and the likelihood they'd exploit it in the chaotic
power-struggling madness that the US invasion caused.
What a big load of saber-rattling horseshit from that ol' wrinkled
dried-up coot! LOL! And let's not forget how "upset" the Bush
administration is that Syria is exploiting the US-caused mess there, too.
Gee, how unfortunate that our *wise leaders* never anticipated what
next-door trouble their stupid preemptive invasion would generate.
Brent Scowcroft tried to warn Junior about this probability, but lil'
Shrub kept dreaming about the day he'd fly "triumphantly" onto an aircraft
carrier wearing a cute military fight uniform, and declaring "Mission
Accomplished!" Sheesh...
Doc ;}
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