Corneliu
26-05-2006, 15:39
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iranian foreign minister on Friday rejected a U.S. offer of direct talks on Iraq because he said the Americans had raised "other issues."
What were they?
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said during a visit to Baghdad that Tehran had decided to hold the talks but changed its mind. He did not say what the other issues were.
"We have considered this and decided to have such a direct talk in the framework of the issue of Iraq," Mottaki said during a joint news conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.
"Unfortunately, the American side tried to use this decision as a propaganda and they raised some other issues. They tried to create a negative atmosphere and that is why the decision that was taken for the time being is suspended," he added.
These talks were to be about Iraq and not the nuclear issue which is the other issue that Iran is trying to claim.
U.S. officials have made clear that the talks would be specifically about Iraq and would not include the dispute over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
Mottaki, who was leading the first high-level Iranian delegation to Baghdad since Iraq's new government was formed last week, also said a decision on the presence of foreign forces in Iraq should be left up to the Iraqis.
"What we are looking for and may we call it concern for Iranians is security of our country," he said. "Thus in such a case definitely this presence will affect negatively our country."
I'll give him credit here. It is up to them and so far the government wants foreign forces there but if you listen to the Iraqi government, they are hoping that we can begin to leave soon. I'm hoping that the Iraqi government is right.
However...these talks were supposed to be about Iraq and now Iran has rejected talking to the United States on a basely charge about their nuclear program which is going through the UN SC even as we speak. Leave it to Iran to read into something that odds are weren't even there.
What were they?
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said during a visit to Baghdad that Tehran had decided to hold the talks but changed its mind. He did not say what the other issues were.
"We have considered this and decided to have such a direct talk in the framework of the issue of Iraq," Mottaki said during a joint news conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.
"Unfortunately, the American side tried to use this decision as a propaganda and they raised some other issues. They tried to create a negative atmosphere and that is why the decision that was taken for the time being is suspended," he added.
These talks were to be about Iraq and not the nuclear issue which is the other issue that Iran is trying to claim.
U.S. officials have made clear that the talks would be specifically about Iraq and would not include the dispute over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
Mottaki, who was leading the first high-level Iranian delegation to Baghdad since Iraq's new government was formed last week, also said a decision on the presence of foreign forces in Iraq should be left up to the Iraqis.
"What we are looking for and may we call it concern for Iranians is security of our country," he said. "Thus in such a case definitely this presence will affect negatively our country."
I'll give him credit here. It is up to them and so far the government wants foreign forces there but if you listen to the Iraqi government, they are hoping that we can begin to leave soon. I'm hoping that the Iraqi government is right.
However...these talks were supposed to be about Iraq and now Iran has rejected talking to the United States on a basely charge about their nuclear program which is going through the UN SC even as we speak. Leave it to Iran to read into something that odds are weren't even there.