Iran rejects allegations of violating Somalia arms embargo
Somalia-Iran, Politics, 11/18/2006

Iran yesterday categorically rejected the "baseless" allegations contained in a report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia that Tehran, along with other some other states, has violated a UN resolution imposing an arms embargo on Somalia.

In a letter sent to the Chairman of the UN Security Council's Committee on Somalia Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Iran's Permanent Representative to the UN Mohammad-Javad Zarif said the allegations in the report "are totally baseless and without any foundation, and do not meet the minimum standards of credibility." UN Resolution 751 passed on April 24, 1992 enjoined all states to observe an arms embargo on Somalia.

The resolution also established the Security Council Sanctions Committee against violators of the arms embargo.

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects all alleged violations in the report as "ridiculous fabrications," Zarif stressed in his letter.

He added that it was unfortunate that "strange fabrications that flout logic and facts on the ground" were made by the Monitoring Group.

"The baseless allegations raised against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the report along with some other allegations mentioned therein do not have the value to be considered even as journalistic fiction, let alone being placed in a report which carries the name of the United Nations," Zarif said.

In conclusion, he said it was Tehran's expectation that "the Sanctions Committee and the Monitoring Group will address the unacceptable inclusion of such wholly groundless accusations and remove them from the report."

Previous Stories:
  Somalia as proxy war, Eritrea and US involvement   (11/7/2006)
  Abul Gheit: Egypt closely follows up Somali developments   (10/23/2006)
  Somalia peace talks seen positive   (9/5/2006)

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