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Iranian Interference in Iraq Criticized

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq accused Iran on Monday of providing weapons, training and support to Iraqi militia and insurgent groups responsible for the country`s continuing violence and instability. Zalmay Khalilzad, at a news conference, criticized what he described as the Islamic Republic`s "negative role" in Iraqi affairs.

Last October, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain said his government was investigating evidence that Iran had sold sophisticated bombs to insurgents in Iraq. Ambassador Khalilzad rejected out of hand recent Iranian calls for the withdrawal of British troops from the southern Iraqi city of Basra. An Iranian terror group recently proclaimed in the event of an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities they would strike coalition troops in Iraq.

"I have said to Iraqis that we do not seek to impose our differences with Iran on them," Khalilzad said. "But we do not want Iranian interference in Iraq. The coalition forces are here under a U.N. mandate, at the request of the Iraqi government." Iraq`s population is predominantly Shiite and many Shiite politicians have close ties to Iran. Under the regime of Saddam Hussein, ousted in 2003, the Sunni minority controlled the country and launched a protracted war against Iran.