Iraqi Kurdish areas bombed, Iran - US involvement
Iraq-Iran-USA, Politics, 9/14/2007

The top United Nations official in Iraq voiced concern this week over the intermittent shelling of areas in the northern region of Kurdistan.

"Such incidents continue to cause damage and consternation among the civilian populations in these areas, disrupting their daily lives," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Ashraf Qazi said in a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

According to a press release yesterday, Qazi recently discussed the issue with all relevant parties and urged them to use their good offices to ensure an immediate end to the shelling. He called on all concerned parties to refrain from activities that "can lead to further destabilization of the political and humanitarian situation in Iraq," the statement noted.

He stressed that "a stable, secure and peaceful Iraq is in the interests of Iraq, its neighbors and the wider region." UN agencies have been in touch with the governorate and local authorities and have undertaken assessment missions to ascertain humanitarian needs, providing tents, blankets, cooking equipment and other emergency items to several hundred displaced families as well as emergency supplies to hospitals treating the wounded.

A Washington Post report two days ago noted that "Kurdish villagers in this far northeastern corner of Iraq have endured a punishing barrage of rockets and artillery shells from what they say are Iranian troops across the border," adding that "The attacks are an ominous reminder that the emergence of an increasingly self-sufficient Kurdish region in northern Iraq could provoke reprisals or even invasions by Iran and Turkey."

The Washington Post spoke of previous Turkish and Iranian efforts to drive Kurdish separatist guerrillas from the area, and that Iran accuses the US of using such groups against Iran, and indicated that this may be a related to a retaliation bombing by Iran.

The US and Iran relations are stressed in Iraq in part over each country's attempt to influence or effect the other's leverage in Iraq.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister in African and Arab Countries Affairs Mohammad-Reza Baqeri on Wednesday evaluated result of his talks with Iraqi officials as positive and constructive. He had been in Iraq on an invitation extended by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry. He said "In my meeting with the Iraqi Parliament Speaker he praised Iran for its exemplary support for the elected Iraqi Government."

Baqeri added, "I said during my meeting with Mr. Mash'hadani that the only way to save Iraq from the present catastrophic conditions is the evacuation of occupation forces from their country." The Iranian Deputy FM reacting to a recent report to US congress by the commander of US forces in Iraq, said, "Having not learned from its past mistakes, Washington is trying to blame the others for its own mistakes in Iraq."

He said, "I asked the Iraqi Parliament Speaker to give an appropriate answer to the accusations brought up by General Paetreus against Iran."

The US had on several occasions accused Iran of supplying armed groups in Iraq with weapons, claims which Iran denies.

Baqeri also referred to his meeting with the head of Iraqi Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee and a number of Iraqi MPs, adding, "We elaborated on Iran's rational stands during those meetings."
He also referred to the issues brought up during his meeting with the head of Iraq's Islamic Party, Ayad Sameraie.

The Iranian Deputy FM said, "In my meeting with Sameraie I reminded him of the Islamic Revolution of Iran's position about the need for preservation of unity among entire Iraqi Muslims, including the Shiites, the Sunnis and the other Iraqi minorities."

Baqeri who spoke about his meeting with Iraqi Internal Security Minister Shirvan Vaeli said "In that meeting we were agreed on need to establish joint security committees to survey issues such as border security, and blocking the path for taking advantage of terrorists."

Previous Stories:
  Mottaki: Foreigners involved in Iraq's violence in Iraq   (9/5/2007)
  Iran says Iraqi terrorists crossing border, blames US   (9/5/2007)
  Iran says Iraqi terrorists crossing border, blames US   (9/5/2007)
  Iran - US relations on Iraq still   (8/27/2007)
  Iran - US relations on Iraq still   (8/27/2007)
  US - Iran agree to meet over Iraq; differences clear   (7/23/2007)
  European Court says PKK can challenge inclusion in EU terror list   (1/20/2007)
  US Calls on Kurdish group to stop terrorist acts   (8/16/2006)
  Turkish FM: Iraq neighboring countries should show solidarity   (7/8/2006)

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