Region | Iraq
Ahmadinejad says will do all it can to help Iraq
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday Iran would do whatever it could to help provide security to Iraq amid warnings the country was on the brink of civil war.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 November 28, 2006
- Image Credit: EPA
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (right) with his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani at the presidential office in Tehran on Monday. The two will focus their talks on expansion of bilateral ties, Iran‘s assistance in strengthening Iraq‘s security and construction of an oil pipeline between the southern Iraqi city of Basra and the bordering Iranian Gulf port of Abadan.
Tehran: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday Iran would do whatever it could to help provide security to Iraq amid warnings the country was on the brink of civil war.
The White House, acknowledging violence in Iraq was in a "new phase", said the issue of talking to Iran and Syria about Iraq was likely to be raised at a meeting this week between President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.
The United States is facing calls to engage Tehran to help end the bloodshed, which UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said had pushed Iraq closer to civil war.
Bush and Al Maliki are due to meet in Jordan on Wednesday. "I think you're going to find that Prime Minister Maliki is going to bring that (talking to Iran and Syria) up with the president," US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters accompanying Bush to the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
Ahmadinejad made his pledge to help Iraq at the start of a visit to Iran by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, whose trip was delayed because of a curfew imposed after Thursday's bombing in a Shiite Muslim stronghold of Baghdad which killed 202 people. The curfew was lifted on Monday.
"The Iranian nation and government will definitely stand beside their brother, Iraq, and any help the government and nation of Iran can give to strengthen security in Iraq will be given," Ahmadinejad said, Iran's ISNA news agency reported.
"We have no limitation for cooperation in any field, Political analysts said Iran may try to use the talks Talabani to show off its influence to Washington and bolster its position ahead of any dialogue with its old enemy. They also said Iran's ability to stem the bloodshed in Iraq was limited.
Iran had been trying to organise a summit joining Ahmadinejad, Talabani and Syrian President Bashar Assad, but Damascus decided against attending.
US officials say the violence is fuelled by Iran's backing for Shiite groups and its weapons exports. Iran denies the charge.
"In this trip, we will also talk about Iraq's security file because Iraq needs the comprehensive assistance of Iran to fight terrorism and create stability," ISNA quoted Talabani as saying.
"We are in dire need of Iran's help in establishing security and stability in Iraq," Iran's state-run television quoted Talabani as saying after he met with Ahmadinejad.
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