Iran blames US for instability

[<bleeding_heart>]

Influential Shia leaders in the Middle East have criticised the US for the continued instability in Iraq.

However, they stopped well short of endorsing the young radical Shia cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, whose forces clashed with coalition troops for the second day yesterday.

"The direct responsibility for this insecurity lies with the occupiers who should immediately leave Iraq and return sovereignty to the Iraqi nation," said Hamid Reza Asefi, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, in his weekly press briefing.

Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, who is Lebanon's most influential Shia cleric, has denounced the "horrible massacres" committed by US forces and called on Iraqis to exercise restraint in any response.

In Iran, television stations showed graphic clips from both Baghdad and Najaf, but described the scenes calmly as "clashes between demonstrators and occupiers".

Iran's state-owned media has generally portrayed events in neighbouring Iraq as a result of US insensitivity and has stopped short of endorsing Mr Sadr.

Tehran has links with most Iraqi political leaders, including Mr Sadr, but its closest relationship is with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Its leader, Abdulaziz Hakim, sits on the interim Governing Council, which opposes Mr Sadr's militia.

On Sunday, Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari, Iran's interior minister, said the "return of security and stability in Iraq" was in the interests of its neighbours, and called for a greater United Nations role "to enable [iraq] to exercise its legitimate rights".

In meetings with Nouri Badran, the Iraqi interim interior minister who is on a visit to Tehran, Mr Lari agreed on the importance of ending unauthorised migration over the countries' shared 1,500km border.

At least 40 Iranian pilgrims were killed in last month's bombing of Shia shrines in Karbala and Baghdad.

Source

[DC09]

It seems like everyone blames the US for everything.

[<bleeding_heart>]

I wouldnt go that far, but with power come critisism.

[Erikl]

I wouldnt go that far, but with power come critisism.

Well, Israel doesn't have any power, and still it is blamed for everything .

Or maybe it's because people believe that Jews rule the world (or the United States)?

[bathory]

nah the instability comes from the inability of the Iraqi people to live in a somewhat civilised society.