IRAN: Iran nuclear chief tells U.S. to leave Iraq, warns Washington not to retaliate against Teheran

Iran dismissed on Wednesday (September 12) a long-awaited progress report by the two senior U.S. officials in Iraq, saying it would not "save America from Iraq's swamp" and called on Washington to withdraw its troops. "We think that it is in the interest of Iraq and America that they (U.S.) leave Iraq," Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larinjani told reporters. On Monday (September 10), General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, and ambassador Ryan Crocker testified to the U.S. Congress, recommended cutting U.S. troops by about 30,000 by next July, ending a so-called surge of forces but not fundamentally changing strategy in the unpopular war. Larijani warned that if Iran become a future target, Washington would regret their action. "If they (Americans) make such a mistake (to attack Iran), it will be the last nail in the coffin of the neo-cons. If they make such a mistake, our answer will be painful. I think that if they a bit of brains they will avoid such measures," he said. Iran has long called for U.S. forces to leave its neighbour, and a Foreign Ministry statement made clear the suggested troop withdrawal did not go far enough for Tehran. Teheran remained defiant that it would not suspend uranium enrichment and Larijani said Iran would be ready to follow the guidelines of the additional protocol to Nuclear non-proliferation treaty they signed with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 12003.

ITN Source | September 13, 2007

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