Iran slams comments by Iraq defense minister

Published December 17th, 2004 - 10:04 GMT

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi on Friday termed as "baseless" and "unwise" the recent anti-Iran remarks by Iraq's defense minister, stressing that such words are meant to distort the image of Iraq's neighbors.


Asefi, as quoted by the ministry`s Press Office in a statement, has stressed that Iraq`s Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan is trying to pin the blame for Iraq`s internal problems on others and is also seeking to distort the image of Iraq`s neighbors through such repetitive remarks.

 

According to IRNA, he said Iraqi officials have previously said that Shaalan`s remarks depict no official position. "He surely is not in a position to talk on the behalf of the Arab world since such remarks would only distort the image of the Arab world," Asefi said in the statement.

Iraq`s Defense Minister Shaalan has recently alleged that Iran is interfering in Iraq`s internal affairs.

 

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