Iran respects Iraqis’ stances on U.S. troops agreement-Embassy

Iraq-U BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A spokesman for Iran’s Embassy to Baghdad on Tuesday said his country would respect Iraq’s decision to sign a security deal with the U.S., noting it is a local Iraqi issue. “Iran saw the proposed Iraq-U.S. security agreement as a domestic issue” Menoshaher Tasleimi, spokesman for Iran’s Embassy, said. “It respects the views of the Iraqi government and people in approving the deal.” U.S President George W. Bush and Maliki agreed last November to sign the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) in Iraq by the end of July, but it has been delayed. The proposed pact will decide the future presence of American forces in Iraq after the December 31 expiration of the UN mandate, which currently acts as the legal basis for their presence in the country. “The presence of foreign troops in Iraq is not in the interest of the region countries and causes a number of problems especially in straining ties between Iran and Iraq and the Gulf countries,” the spokesman noted. “The U.S. would continue to accuse Iran of false claims once they feel their policies are going to fail.” The U.S. deems Iran as its arch foe after an Iranian rejection of international calls to halt its nuclear program and also for their interests in a number of countries in the Middle East. The U.S accused Iran of training, financing, and supplying Iraqi armed groups with weapons to attack the U.S. troops in Iraq. Tehran has rejected all these charges. “Parliament’s rejection of the U.S. commanders’ accusations of bribes and the demonstrations staged by the Sadrist movement are clear evidence that the U.S. is fabricating charges against Iran,” he explained. The Washington Post reported the U.S commander of troops in Iraq general Odierno accused Iran of trying to bribe some MPs to derail the security deal between Iraq and the U.S. AM (P)/SR 1