Iran: U.S. Misunderstood Iraqi Resistance

AP Online via COMTEX ^ | 3-30-03 | By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

[Oldeconomybuyer]

TEHRAN, Iran, Mar 30, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Iran's foreign minister Sunday warned of "more difficult days" for coalition forces in Iraq, saying Washington miscalculated the level of Iraqi resistance.

Kamal Kharrazi also said Iran "will not support a government in Baghdad installed by America," favoring instead an Iraqi government elected by its people with guidance from the United Nations.

Kharrazi told a news conference that coalition forces "thought they would be welcome in Iraq, but Iraqi people are greeting them with suicide attacks. ... The U.S.-led forces miscalculated the situation."

"It appears that more difficult days await the invading forces," he said.

On Saturday, an Iraqi bomber posing as a taxi driver blew up his vehicle, killing himself and four U.S. soldiers at an American checkpoint on the highway north of the Iraqi holy city of Najaf.

Kharrazi rejected Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's claims that Iran is meddling in the war and that the Iranian-backed Shiite opposition Badr Corps inside Iraq poses a threat to allied troops.

Iran is "not taking sides in the war," he said.

Iran supports the Tehran-based Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which opposes Saddam Hussein and whose military wing - the Badr Corps - has forces inside Iraq and Iran.

Kharrazi urged warring parties to respect Iranian airspace and territorial integrity after stray missiles apparently fired by Iraq and coalition forces landed in his country last week.

He also warned the warring sides against harming Shiite Muslim shrines in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. "We are worried about damages to holy places," he said.

Asked if Iran was concerned America could target it next after Iraq, Kharrazi said: "We are not worried. We are a strong democracy."

[Oldeconomybuyer]

It's hard to differentiate Iran's foreign minister from Reuters, CNN, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The LA Times, Newsweek, TIME, AFP, etc., etc., etc....

[Ramcat]

"Kharrazi told a news conference that coalition forces "thought they would be welcome in Iraq, but Iraqi people are greeting them with suicide attacks. ... The U.S.-led forces miscalculated the situation."

Numbers welcoming coalition troops = thousands
Mumbers of homicide bombers = one

[expatpat]

Who cares what this idiot favors?

[niteowl77]

It's hard to differentiate Iran's foreign minister from Reuters, CNN, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The LA Times, Newsweek, TIME, AFP, etc., etc., etc...

'Tis true. The official gov't people are big on cranked-up bombast, whereas the fourth estate brie-eaters tend towards modulated negativity. Go for whatever the home crowd will swallow.

[TLBSHOW]

Hard to surrender with guns pointed at you're back. Rest assured they want to and will when they can get those at their backs taken care of.

[Fulbright]

1. Iraq
2. North Korea
3. Iran

This, unfortunately, may be the Order of Battle.

[Fulbright]

Between the lines here is a suggestion that perhaps Iran will help insure that more difficult days lie ahead for the US.

That would be very foolish, as there is much residual hatred in the US toward Iran dating from the 444-day hostage crisis.