Iranian view on ethnic and other challenges for Iraq
Iraq-Iran, Politics, 4/24/2006

Head of strategic research department of Iran's Expediency Council, Iranian Hojatoleslam Hassan Rowhani, said today that withdrawal of occupation forces from Iraq was one of the major challenges facing the country.

Addressing the opening session of the International Conference on Developments in Iraq and Prospects for Stability in the Region, the cleric regretted that no timetable has yet been set for withdrawal of the occupation forces from the war-torn country.

"The sooner the occupiers leave Iraq and stop meddling in the country's internal affairs, the sooner stability will be restored both to Iraq and the region," Rowhani stressed.

Noting that the "problem of security," was another major issue faced by the war-ravaged country, Rowhani complained "Today, Iraq is so insecure that on cannot find even a safe corner at any street or district (of the country)." He further said that the US troops do not bother to provide security for the Iraqi people despite the fact that occupation forces were responsible for safeguarding Iraq's security.

Rowhani added that the American troops were only caring about their own security although "they failed even to provide it for themselves," the official said ironically.

As for US indifference towards the massacre of Iraqi Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish civilians, Rowhani said that US did not care about destruction of holy sites as well as murder of Iraqi police forces.

He said "Why don't Americans allow the Iraqi government to take care of national security and why don't they (Americans) share their intelligence information on terrorists with the government of Iraq?"

There is no way of achieving stability in Iraq except through unity among all ethnic and religious groups in the war-torn country, said Rowhani, adding that any disagreement or discord would not be in the interest of the Iraqi people.

Lashing out at allegations that Iraq is now in a state of civil war, Rowhani said "Those who are there to spoil the three years of achievement of the Iraqi people and try to change the constitution are behind such allegations." "Occupiers are not happy with Iraq's unity," the cleric pointed out, adding that "those who plotted the Samarra bombing intended to trigger a civil war in Iraq but failed because their plot was defused through the vigilance of the Iraqi people and its religious leaders." Rowhani, who is also a member of the Supreme National Security Council, moreover said that "establishment of a national government as well as a national coalition and acting with flexibility, rationalism and tolerance as well as restoration of stability in Iraq will safeguard the national interest of all the Iraqi people." He warned that Iraq's disintegration would not benefit either Iraq's Shi'ites or its Sunni and Kurdish population.

"Regional security will be safeguarded by a united Iraq where every ethnic group has its (fair) share in the government based on representation," Rowhani said.

He urged everybody inside and outside the war-torn country to support Iraq's government so that it could run the country effectively.

Referring to the establishment of a number of US companies in Iraq, specially those linked to the interests of US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheny, Rowhani said that conducting a study to find out the reason for the companies' establishment would prove the real reason behind Rumsfeld and Cheney's insistence on occupying forces remaining in Iraq.

The cleric further stated that 73 percent of the US troops in Iraq believed these forces should leave the country immediately.

Previous Stories:
  Kurdish claim of clashes with Iranian forces   (4/22/2006)
  New Iran ambassador to Iraq   (4/22/2006)
  Iranian cleric call on Sunnis and Shiites to set differences aside   (4/21/2006)

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