Ahmadinejad visits Baghdad
- 00:01:27
- ITN
Ahmadinejad visits Baghdad
Former arch-enemies Iran and Iraq have moved towards a reconciliation with the first official visit in almost 30 years.Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was "truly happy" to make the first trip to Baghdad since Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein began an eight-year war between the neighbouring nations in 1980.In a joint news conference with the Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "This visit will open a new chapter in the two countries' bilateral relations and it will help the atmosphere of cooperation in the region."A developed, powerful and united Iraq is to the advantage of everyone,""A visit to Iraq without the dictator is a truly happy one," he added in a reference to Saddam.Relations between Iran and Iraq have improved dramatically since the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Saddam.Many of Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim leaders were in exile in Iran, also home to a Shia majority, during Saddam's long rule.Mr Ahmadinejad's visit is seen as a show of support for the Iraqi government and an act of defiance against Iran's longtime enemy, the United States.US officials in Baghdad have said they will play no part in the red-carpet visit and the US military will not be involved in protecting him.Washington has accused Tehran of supplying weapons and training to Shi'ite militia groups who attack coalition forces, a charge Mr Ahmadinejad has denied.© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
ITN | March 2, 2008
