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Barham
Saleh, Iraq's Deputy P.M. Chides U.S., Iran |
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Barham Saleh, Iraq's Deputy P.M. Chides
U.S., Iran
29.1.2007
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January 29, 2007
BAGHDAD, Iraq, -- Iraq's deputy prime
minister on Sunday said Iran and the United States
were using Iraq as a "zone of conflict and
competition" and jeopardizing efforts to stabilize
the country.
Dr Barham Saleh, a Kurd who has ties with both
Tehran and Washington, accused the two countries of
stepping on Iraq's sovereignty as they jockeyed for
advantage.
"Iraqi transition is burdened by many elements of
interference in our domestic affairs," Saleh said in
an interview with The Associated Press.
He urged Iran and the U.S. to resolve their
differences, at least where Iraq was concerned. |
Dr. Barham Salih, Iraqi Deputy PM |
"The new Iraq is one that hopes to be at peace with
itself and at peace with its neighbors," he said
from a gilded chair in the ornate entrance hall of
his Green Zone office compound.
"And that definitely requires noninterference in our
affairs," he said, declaring that Iran and the
United States should see Iraq's well-being and
prosperity as a "point of consensus."
The U.S. and Iran, already deeply at odds over
Tehran's nuclear program, find themselves in a
growing and more public conflict over Iran's
involvement in Iraq, where it is accused of
training, arming and funding militants fighting U.S.
occupation forces.
The Iranian government heatedly blasted Washington
earlier this month after U.S. forces raided an
Iranian government liaison office in
Kurdish-controlled Kurdistan (northern Iraq) and
detained five Iranians. U.S. officials said the
Iranians were members of a Revolutionary Guard
faction that funds and arms insurgents in Iraq.
Top Kurdish officials and authorities in Baghdad
complained that the U.S. raid was done without
notification and said the Iranians must be freed,
asserting they were in the country on legitimate
business.
The detentions hit a nerve as Iraq's
Shiite-dominated government faces the delicate task
of trying to secure Baghdad with the help of
American forces while maintaining ties with its
neighbors, including U.S. rivals Iran and Syria.
The White House also has revealed that President
Bush has authorized U.S. forces in Iraq to take
whatever action necessary to counter Iranian agents
who are deemed a threat.
Saleh, who served for 10 years as the Kurdistan
Regional government representative to the United
States, signaled Iraqi impatience with both Tehran
and Washington.
His ally and fellow Kurd, President Jalal Talabani
has been pressing efforts to encourage a dialogue
between the two nations.
"I have to admit Iraq has become a zone of conflict
and competition between various regional players and
international players," Saleh said. "The tensions
are there and undeniably there is a spillover effect
that complicates Iraqi political and security
transition."
"We are grateful to the United States for the effort
on our behalf to overcome tyranny. But at the end of
the day we are accountable to our own people, our
own constituents who demand of us better security
and better services," he said.
As for Iran, he said, good relations with the Shiite
theocracy were important for Iraq given the
countries sit side by side and that Iran gave
shelter to many Iraqi dissidents during Saddam
Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime and who now wield
power.
But, he said, "The failure of this present political
process in Iraq will mean chaos in Iraq and
ultimately may well mean restoration of the status
quo in the form of tyranny in one way or another."
On other topics, Saleh, who is chairman of the
Cabinet economics committee, dismissed concerns that
a proposed oil law would allow U.S. and other
international oil companies too much influence over
Iraq's most important resource.
He denied published reports that the proposal would
provide for so-called product sharing agreements
that would give international oil firms 70 percent
of oil revenues to recover initial investment and
subsequently allow foreign drillers 20 percent of
the profits, tax free and without restrictions on
repatriating profits.
"These reports ... about the terms of PSAs (Profit
Sharing Agreements) ... are totally and absolutely
wrong," he said, acknowledging that concessions
would have to be made to attract much-needed
investment from foreign oil companies.
Details were still under negotiation.
"At the end of the day Iraqi national management
will be there but we need partnership with the
outside world as well for technology transfer and
the flow of funds," he said.
AP
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