Lebanese FM criticizes Iraqi accusations of Iran
Lebanon-Iraq, Politics, 7/29/2004

The Lebanese foreign minister Jean Obeid has criticized the Iraqi defense minister Hazem al-Shalaan over accusing Iran of interfering in the Iraqi internal affairs.

Obeid said that any statements that deal with the question of Iraq's relations with the neighboring states including Iran should not be in a way provoking the rival, rather than amity, would never serve the process of completing sovereignty, evacuation of foreign forces and Iraq's restoration of its security and unity.

The Lebanese minister explained to the press in Beirut that the attempt to complete security and sovereignty in Iraq should be built on wisdom and should make use of the support of Iraq's neighboring state especially Syria, Iran and Turkey.

Obeid stressed that the Lebanese officials did not hear from the Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi during his visit to Lebanon which concluded on Tuesday any unfriendly remarks towards Iran and of course the same for Turkey and Syria.

Al-Shalaan, however, considered in a statement issued by the Washington Post on Monday that Iran represents " Iraq's first enemy " and accused it of terrorism and of " sending spies penetrated into the new Iraqi government including his ministry." He explained to the paper that the number of persons who fought in Afghanistan were recently arrested in Iraq and admitted they had received aid from the Iranian security forces."

However, the Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi admitted last week in a meeting in Cairo with the foreign ministers of countries adjoining Iraq in the possibility of sneaking operations via the Iranian borders but denied the responsibility of Tehran for such secret operations.

Previous Stories:
  On Allawi - Hariri joint press conference   (7/27/2004)
  Iraq denies normalization with Israel, in talks between Allawi, Hariri   (7/27/2004)
  Allawi arrives in Lebanon   (7/26/2004)

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