Kharazi in a sudden visit to Damascus, Beirut and Ankara: some want an Iraqi civil war prepares for division
Syria-Iran, Politics, 12/24/2004

The Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi who had met in Damascus yesterday with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before he moved to Beirut in a sudden visit, warned that sides he did not specify "are conspiring to set ablaze a civil war in Iraq leading to its partition."

He called on the American and the Iraqis to "prove" their accusations to Tehran and Damascus of interfering in Iraq, considering that "should Iran have a natural influence in a certain place with a certain side, this does not mean it interferes" in its own affairs.

Kharazi met in Damascus with President al-Assad and with his Syrian peer Farouk al-Shara. SANA said that the meeting with President al-Assad "dealt with current developments in Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories" and the "importance of continued consultations and coordination between the two countries over important regional issues and international issues of mutual concern." SANA explained that al-Shara and Kharazi discussed conditions in the region, especially in Iraq and the occupied Palestinian territories and bilateral relations between the two countries, noting that the two countries "stressed the need of preserving Iraq's unity and territorial integrity and enabling the Iraqi people from running their own affairs by their own through comprehensive elections leading to ending the occupation."

Concerning developments on the Palestinian arena, the two sides underlined the "importance of enhancing the Palestinian national unity as being the guarantee for restoring back the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, especially establishing their own independent state with Jerusalem as a capital. The two sides expressed "satisfaction over the accelerated development of relations between the two friendly countries and their care to enhance and consolidate these relations in all fields in the service of common interests."

Following the meeting Kgarazi said "we do hope that all Iraqi sects and communities including the Shiite, Sunni, Christians and Turkmans and others to take part in the Iraqi elections and each and every one of them to get due position," considering that "it is time that the Iraqi people will prove they are mature." He added that having the Iraqi elections in January 2005 which will place representatives for people in the authority will accelerate the process of the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq. "These forces are the reason behind the absence of security in Iraq," he said.

Kharazi considered that some "carry out conspiracies in Iraq in order to set a civil war that will be an indicator to partition Iraq. We are not interested to permit Iraq to be of a deteriorated security and partitioned." He said replying to the American and Iraqi accusations of Syria and Iran of interfering in Iraq that these accusations aim at "escaping the reality instead of discussing the crisis and trying to find solutions for it." He added "those who make accusations should provide proof."

Replying to a question on statements made by the Jordanian king Abdullah II that Iran is trying to create a "Shiite Crescent" from Iran to Lebanon via Iraq and Syria, Kharazi said "no body has taken these statements seriously because they are baseless." He added that "The Iraqis themselves considered these accusations as insulting for them."

From Damascus, Kharazi moved to Beirut where he was met by his Lebanese peer Mahmoud Hammoud. Kharazi said replying on a question of the American and Iraq accusations "This is ridiculous because America which attacked Iraq is the one which entered to occupy Iraq and that Iran had not one single soldier in Iraq. Should Iran have a natural influence in a certain place or with a certain side it does not mean it interferes. Iraq is an Arab country and the future of Iraq is in the hands of the Iraqi people. We do hope that the Iraqi people with all its sects will take part in the parliamentary elections."

Kharazi also met with the Lebanese prime minister Omar Karami and will be meeting today with President Emil Lahoud and the speaker of parliament Nabih Berri. He will be also holding a press conference today in Beirut before heading for Turkey.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Assad confers with Iranian vice-President   (12/20/2004)
  Iranian vice president arrives in Damascus   (12/18/2004)
  Al-Shara meets with senior Iranian officials   (11/11/2004)

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