[NYTr] US Pressures Iraq ro Cancel Visit by Iranian President

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Gulf News - Sep 2, 2007
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/09/03/10151070.html

Americans pushing to stop Ahmadinejad's Iraq visit

By Basil Adas, Correspondent

Baghdad: The expected visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to
Iraq in what will be the first ever visit of an Iranian president to
the country, has split Baghdad government.

Ahmadinejad's remark that Iran is ready to fill the vacuum that would
be left after US troops withdraw from Iraq has also put the trip under
spotlight.

Sources in Dawa Party, headed by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki,
revealed that Americans have notified Al Maliki about their
reservations towards Ahmadinejad's expected visit.

The source told Gulf News: "There is a split in Iraqi government's
stance - some welcome the ... visit while others are ... reluctant
because Iran has not taken serious measures to stop ... Iraqi
militias." 

Sources in the Sunni Islamic Party, led by Tarek Al Hashemi, told Gulf
News: "There is an American pressure on Al Maliki not to come close to
Iran and thus it is unwise for the Iraqi Prime Minister to apologise to
Ahmadinejad."

Key concerns

Ahmad Al Khafaji, member of Dawa Party, told Gulf News: "[Some inside
the government seek postponement] of Ahmadinejad's visit to Baghdad.
Yet information reveals contacts continued between the two countries to
fix a date for the Iranian President's visit to Iraq for the first time
in three decades."

During Ahmadinejad's visit, the security situation will be a
significant concern to Al Maliki government.

Sattar Al Khalidi, a researcher in Iranian affairs, told Gulf News: "Al
Maliki's recent visit to Iran was supposed to touch upon all matters
concerning the two countries but there is an urgent Iranian desire for
Ahmadinejad's visit to Baghdad and I think they seek to provoke
Americans out of it. As for some elements in Iraqi government, they
believe that Ahmadinejad's visit is a moral achievement of Al Maliki's
government apart from being an irritation to the Americans."

A Baghdad newspaper close to the opposition commented: "The Iranian
President's visit to Baghdad will not come up with benefits for Iraq
particularly when Karbala events showed that Iran did not take measures
to stop militia activities which led to an armed rebellion against Al
Maliki government."

Abu Haider Al Mossawi, leader of Badr Organisation of the Islamic
Supreme Council led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, thinks the opposite. He
told Gulf News: "President Ahmadinejad's visit demonstrates that Iraq
and Iran are independent countries .... It is possible to ask Iran to
play a positive role to support Iraq's security situation. As for
irritating Americans, it is a reality happening with or without
Ahmadinejad's visit."