Iran rejects allegations in Italian daily

[zubin]

LONDON, December 10 (IranMania) - Iran rejected unfounded allegations made by the Italian `Il Folio' newspaper against the country, IRNA reported.

The Iranian embassy in Rome, in a letter to the daily's editor-in-chief, dismissed a report in the daily's Nov 26 edition, written by Daniele Ranieri, of an alleged Iranian tie-up with Al-Qaeda, as unfounded and contradictory.

The embassy said the report's allegations of an Iranian tie-up with the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda and of Iran exerting a negative role in efforts to restore security in Iraq were not backed by evidence.

Allegations of the kind emanating from doubtful sources which are against the interests of nations in the Middle East region, particularly those of the Iranian and Iraqi peoples, serve no purpose, the embassy said.

It stressed that Iran's interests would not be served by continued instability in Iraq and that its foreign policy favors establishment of peace, stability and a broad-based government in Iraq.

"Iran has always encouraged establishment of stability in the region and in Iraq," it reiterated.

It said that foreign occupiers do not want to see peace, stability and a popular and legal government in Iraq comprising all tribal groups because they know that in such a case they will have no pretext for continuing their occupation.

"These unreal and unfounded allegations against the Islamic Republic of Iran are intended to damage the process of restoring peace in Iraq."

The embassy's letter further pointed out that the response of Baghdad towards the violence and other crimes committed in the country with support from foreign states is itself a clear indication there are special motives behind the commission of these crimes.

"The Iraqi people have neutralized several internal, tribal and religious wars," it said.

"Iran has itself been a victim of terrorism. Individuals who are not familiar with realities in the Middle East are often astonished by unfounded and exaggerated allegations such as Iran's cooperation with Al-Qaeda, which is known to be the moral and financial supporter of the Taliban.

"What is a fact is that the Taliban had brutally martyred Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan in recent years. It carried out outrageous crimes in Iran's eastern borders in cooperation with foreign states.

"These crimes were committed against Iranians as a result of the government's firm fight against these terrorist groups," the embassy said.

It warned the daily not to repeat its allegations which only serve to aggravate the situation in the Middle East as its stands now.