Iran opposes US-Iraq security deal

Top Iranian military official calls deal a "disgrace" for Iraq, accuses US of pressuring Iraqi gov't.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Maliki Iran 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Maliki Iran 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
The proposed US-Iraqi security deal would be a "disgrace" for Iraq and should be rejected, a top Iranian military official said Tuesday in a statement. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, deputy chief of staff at the Iranian armed forces, accused the United States of pressuring the Iraqi government to approve the deal. "The Iraqi people won't be deceived by propaganda and the psychological warfare launched by the US and its allies to pressure the Iraqi government to approve the security deal," Jazayeri said in a statement Tuesday, a copy of which was made available to The Associated Press. Iraq's parliamentary speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani arrived in Teheran Tuesday also to discuss the deal, the official IRNA news agency reported. Iranian media said the agreement would allow the US to set up 14 military bases across Iraq, authorize a long-term American military deployment in the country, give judicial immunity to US nationals and allow the use of Iraqi land, sea and airspace to launch attacks in the region. Iran opposes the US-Iraqi security talks, saying the presence of American forces in Iraq causes regional instability. Jazayeri said the deal, if approved, would be a disgraceful blot in Iraq's history. "Undoubtedly, the Iraqi leaders are careful of any mischief in this regard and won't allow Iraqi history be stained with such a disgrace," Jazayeri said. US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker accused Iran last month of blocking the deal, saying a steady stream of public statements from clerical and political figures in Teheran make it clear that Iran is interfering in the bilateral negotiations between Iraq and the United States. Last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said his government was ready to compromise to reach a security accord with the United States but he said neither he nor Iraq's parliament will accept any pact that falls short of the country's national interests. Maliki also spoke about the difficulty he faces in trying to negotiate the accord that would set the terms for the future US presence in Iraq for years to come. Supporters of popular cleric Muqtada al-Sadr oppose the accord, arguing that US forces should leave Iraq as soon as possible. Maliki said the issue of "immunity or the legal authority", if approved, could be used by political opponents as a vehicle to destablize and even overthrow his government. Iran's hard-line newspapers have said the US-cooked deal would "turn Iraq into a full-fledged colony" and have urged Iraqis to oppose the proposed deal. Earlier this year, an Iraqi delegation visited Iran to convince Iranian officials to halt their alleged support for the Mahdi Army and urge Teheran not to publicly oppose the deal. IRNA quoted Mashhadani, the Iraqi speaker, as saying that he would discuss the details with Iranian officials but no reports are yet available on the details of the talks. Mashhadani arrived in Teheran Tuesday using an Iranian plane, a day after his Iraqi plane was initially turned away. Iranian officials said the type of the plane was the reason for not being granted permission to land in Teheran.