Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Blair Brushes Off Iran's Call For Troop Withdrawal
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-18-2006 | Anton La Guardia

Posted on 02/17/2006 5:55:11 PM PST by blam

Blair brushes off Iran's call for troop withdrawal

By Anton La Guardia, Diplomatic Editor
(Filed: 18/02/2006)

Tony Blair dismissed Iran's call for Britain to withdraw its troops from Iraq yesterday as a tactic designed to divert attention from the international campaign to curb Teheran's nuclear programme.

The Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, demanded the pull-out of British forces around Basra, saying their presence was causing turmoil both in Iraq and southern Iran.

The Prime Minister meets Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin

"Iran demands the immediate withdrawal of British forces from Basra," Mr Mottaki said during a visit to Lebanon. "We believe that the presence of the British military forces in Basra has led to the destabilisation of the security situation in the city."

His comments come amid an intense propaganda campaign by Teheran to blame a series of bombings in southern Iran on British commanders across the border.

Mr Mottaki also appeared to be trying to exploit Iraqi resentment after the release of video images depicting British soldiers beating Iraqi protesters.

British officials said Mr Mottaki's remarks might be a warning to Britain that Teheran could make life difficult for British forces in Iraq if the United Nations imposed sanctions on Iran, or if America took military action to destroy its nuclear facilities.

But the Prime Minister, meeting the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, gave Teheran short shrift.

"What I would say to the Iranians is that there is no point in trying to divert attention from the issues to do with Iran by calling into question the British presence in Iraq which is there with a UN mandate and Iraqi support.

"British troops are in Iraq under a United Nations mandate and with the consent of the Iraqi government.

"They stay as long as the UN mandate is in place and as long as the Iraq government wishes us to stay, and we now have a fully democratically elected government about to take shape in Iraq."

Tensions between Iran and the West have risen sharply after the International Atomic Energy Agency decided earlier this month to report Teheran to the UN Security Council for breaching its nuclear obligations.

Teheran says it is developing nuclear facilities for "peaceful purposes". But the West believes that its nuclear programme - especially its facilities to enrich uranium - are secretly intended to develop atomic weapons.

Iran has argued that it does not intend to build nuclear weapons because they contravene Islam. But at least some hardline clerics appear to be changing their mind.

Rooz, a reformist Iranian internet daily, this week reported a hardline cleric, Mohsen Gharavian, as saying that nuclear weapons could be justified under Islamic Sharia law.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blair; brushes; call; iran; irans; off; troop; uktroops; withdrawal

1 posted on 02/17/2006 5:55:13 PM PST by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: blam
How does Iran have the right to demand anything internal to Iraq?

I demand that the Iranians expel their current president from office, arrest him, and put him on trial.

My demands have more impact than his request of Tony Blair.

2 posted on 02/17/2006 5:59:05 PM PST by Real Cynic No More (A member of the Appalachian-American minority -- and proud of it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam

Iran is playing with fire. In fact, they're playing with the surface of the sun with their bare hands.


3 posted on 02/17/2006 6:04:14 PM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam
I'm sure that British and US forces will leave Iraq when the government of Iraq asks us to. Until then, Iran can have a nice cold glass of shut the hell up.
4 posted on 02/17/2006 6:14:06 PM PST by frankiep
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Frank_Discussion

There are times,in my macabre fantasies,that I picture the entire Middle East (minus Israel) as an endless sheet of glass.


5 posted on 02/17/2006 6:14:16 PM PST by appleharvey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: appleharvey

*sigh* Sounds very peaceful...


6 posted on 02/17/2006 6:17:15 PM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: blam

Dream on Iran!!!!!!


7 posted on 02/17/2006 7:29:34 PM PST by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys-Reagan and Bush)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson