Iranian President Vows to Support Syria

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C84307%2C00.html | 4/16/03

[areafiftyone]

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Wednesday his country will not recognize a U.S.-installed interim administration in Iraq and will support Syria if it is attacked.

It was the first time a senior official had defined Iran's already well-known stance on a postwar Iraq.

"We will not recognize any administration other than an all Iraqi government. However, we are not seeking tension or confrontation with anybody," Khatami told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

On Tuesday, retired U.S. Gen. Jay Garner, chosen by the United States to lead the interim administration, opened a conference in Ur, Iraq, with the goal of shaping Iraq's postwar government.

"The Iraqi nation will not accept any foreign rule," Khatami said. "It is in the interests of morality, civility and international law that an administration representing all Iraqi ethnic, religious groups take over in Iraq and in the long term a government is elected on the basis of one vote for each Iraqi citizen."

In the first official Iranian comment on U.S. claims that Syria was hosting members of Saddam Hussein's regime, Khatami said the rhetoric was a "bluff" and that Iran would support Syria if attacked.

"Syria is on the front line against Zionist pressures, defending the cause of the Palestinian nation, freedom and peace in the region. We will defend Syria but it doesn't mean we will engage in military confrontation," he said.

The U.S. administration has accused Syria of harboring remnants of Saddam's toppled regime, supporting terrorism and possessing chemical weapons, raising fears that Syria is America's next target.

Khatami said the United States must learn to respect other nations and live with them in peace.

"Their [U.S.] interests also require that they give up (bullying) methods and live with the world in peace," he said.

Khatami called on the United States to avoid tension with Iran.

"We have big problems with America. But we don't welcome tensions either. If we feel they are changing their behavior, then a new situation may emerge (in our relations)," he said.

Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the failure of the Iraqi Republican Guards in defending their country against U.S.-led coalition forces would remain "an eternal disgrace," state-run Tehran television reported.

"The world always pays tribute to defenders who resist, even if they are defeated by the enemy, but is ashamed of their humiliating surrender," the television quoted Khamenei as saying.

[COURAGE]

"Our initial assessment is that they will all die"

[scooby321]

Lets See Iran fought Iraq to a draw for 7 years

US destroyed Iraq in 3 weeks

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the failure of the Iraqi Republican Guards in defending their country against U.S.-led coalition forces would remain "an eternal disgrace,"

Look who's trash talking. This comes from a country that barely managed to battled the Iraqis to a draw in the Iran-Iraq war.

Carter isn't our President anymore, chump.

[The G Man]

I wonder if he'll recognize a U.S.-installed interim administration in Iran?

[kerouacbal]

So your next war will take 6 weeks insteed of 3 weeks

[Former Proud Canadian]

These people don't know when they are licked. The feat of arms that the United States armed forces just pulled off marks a historic point. A single division of the Army, backed by air power, could peel off and defeat Syria while another took on Iran. US armoured forces are virtually invulnerable against their Middle Eastern opponents. The new reality is taking a while to sink in.

On the other hand, if Iran and Syria percipitate a crisis, the US gets a twofer.

[areafiftyone]

Just because Iran has Nuclear program they think they are the baddest Arabs around! What jerks!

[RummyChick]

I hope the soldier behind him ends up seeing this graphic. It is funny and deserves to be put on the We love bob site.

[areafiftyone]

Its on Strange Cosmos! Its been around for while! Its one of their funnier ones!

[UncleSamUSA]

Since Iran is a charger member of the Axis of Evil Terror enablers, I can only say in response to the Iranian douchebag:

Who cares what you say anyway, Mr. Towelhead.

Your own people are demonstrating against your own government, on pain of death by the way, and the democracy movement is growing among the young who see the "Islamic Revolution" for the brutal sham it is.

So keep up the BS, TowelHead, coz you and your Ayatollas are next.

[chachacha]

"The Iraqi nation will not accept any foreign rule," Khatami said. "It is in the interests of morality, civility

Of which you have none!

The whole world would be better off if none of you sick, corrupt, theives, rapists, killers and Devils existed on planet earth.

[colorado tanker]

Iran: Pick me, pick me, I wanna be next! Ahhh, you always pick Syria first, when's it gonna be my turn?

[Walkingfeather]

" He chose ....poorly"
IJ and the last cruisade.

[blackdog]

Consider this scenario,

WMD's are being smuggled from all the Arab nations into states bordering Israel. When the time is right to "punish the American Crusaders", Israel gets everything from Anthrax, sarrin, ricin, irradiated explosives, to nukes. In order for Israel to respond, they will have to nuke those states surrounding it without any geographical margin of safety. In reality their only response can be to nuke themselves.

I do see this as the Arab solution to the Israel problem, the Palestinian problem(which they hate as much as the jews), and as an effective strike against American stability.

[SquirrelKing]

"Did your momma not give you enough love?"

[areafiftyone]

LOL

[johnb838]

Unfortunately Muslims are even greater masters of denial of reality than they are of apocalyptic rhetoric.

The trend I'm seeing is that the Shi'ites are wasting no time in getting back in the game. They want Iraq, and they want it NOW. If we pulled out they'd be all over the country like slime on a pond and there would be genocidal ethnic cleansing of the Sunnis and the Kurds.

We need to tell them if they want some, come on. We didn't liberate Iraq to turn it over to the mullahs of Iran, that's for sure.

[trebb]

I wonder what kind of Iraqi government the interim Iranian government would accept.