Attack on Iran 'highly probable' next year

A U.S. attack on Iran is "highly probable" in 2003, Mohsen Rezaie, spokesman of Iran's Expediency Council, said here yesterday.

Speaking to Iran Students News Agency (ISNA), Rezaie warned the U.S. saying that "Iran's role in the region cannot be ignored."

Rezaie urged the Iranian government to adopt two major strategies simultaneously for facing any U.S. attack against Iran. "High-ranking officials including parliamentarians, judiciary system, and government officials should pool in all their efforts towards the requests of the people," said Rezaie.

Moreover, he said, Iran's foreign policy should be based on an 'active diplomacy' decorated with the 'Iranian-Islamic logic' to create a powerful Iran in the region. "In this case no foreign danger will dare to threaten Iran," he added.

He stressed on Iran's highly popular legitimacy that has recently saved the country from a direct military attack of the U.S.

Rezaie is a prominent conservative figure close to Iran's former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. He served as the head of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the eight-year war (1980-1988) between Iran and Iraq.

Mustafa Tajzadeh, a prominent reformist figure, close to President Mohammed Khatami and former deputy of the Interior Minister on Security Affairs, had publicly said: "The U.S. had planned to attack Iran after George W. Bush included it in his 'axis of evil' along with Iraq and North Korea.

"However, the nationwide anti-American demonstration neutralised that plan," he said.

He went on further to say that even Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in his visit to Tehran informed President Khatami about the U.S. plan.

Referring to the U.S. threats to attack Iraq, Rezaie said: "It seems that the U.S. is ready to attack Iraq and it has studied all possible ways to go ahead with it. The presence of the U.S. forces in Turkey, Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf are signaling an upcoming attack."

Former Major General pointed towards the military imbalance between the Iraqi and the U.S. and added that in this unrivaled war the U.S. has more chances to win the game.

He said the Iranian government should side with the Iraqi people and not the Iraqi government.

Moreover, Tehran should prevent itself from entering into any kind of an activity that puts Iran in front of Iraq's next government. "Any support from Saddam Hossein in this situation that puts Iran in front of Iraq's next government will be an irretrievable mistake."

Although the Iranians are seriously against any military attack on Iraq and interference in its internal affairs, Rezaie has accepted that the U.S. attack will take place soon.

He asked in this situation will the U.S. air force bombard the military centres of Iran's arch-foe Mojahedin Khalq Organisation (MKO), located in Iraq?

"If the U.S bombards MKO's garrisons and devastate its military bases inside the Iraqi territory, it will be a sign of good will towards Iran, otherwise it will show that the Americans are not honest in their fight against terrorism."