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Khatami laughs off Israeli threat to hit nuclear facilities

IRNA

Tehran, Dec 22, IRNA -- President Mohammad Khatami on Monday brushed 
aside speculation about a likely US attack against Iran and Syria, 
while he laughed off Israeli defense minister`s revelation about the 
Zionist regime`s plan to destroy Tehran`s nuclear capabilities. 
"He made a damn mistake," the Iranian president retorted with a 
smile, when asked to comment on the statements made by Shaul Mofaz who
had been cited as saying that `the necessary steps will be taken if a 
decision is made to destroy Iran`s nuclear capability`. 
Khatami also said, "America is not in a position to materialize 
its threats against Iran and Syria. 
"If America manages to pull out safe from the storm which it has 
started in Iraq, it will be acknowledged as having done a great job," 
he added. 
Khatami described relations between Tehran and Damascus as `very 
good`, playing down the US and Israeli threats against them. "There 
have always been threats against these two countries. But we must 
remain together and not give any pretext to them." 
Iran has been demonized under the Bush administration, while Syria
has been slapped with new series of unilateral American sanctions. 
AMNESTY FOR MKO MEMBERS 
Khatami renewed Iran`s proposal to members of the Iraq-based 
terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) to return home, saying 
those without blood on their hands would be dealt with leniently. 
"The majority who did not commit a crime and do not have blood on 
their hands are like our children and we must treat them with leniency
and mercy," he said. 
"Those who have committed crimes will be given a fair trial and we
do not want any thing more than this," he told reporters on the 
sidelines of an international conference here. 
US overseer in Iraq, Paul Bremer, has indicated that MKO members 
would be expelled to third countries rather than Iran, opposing an 
Iraqi Governing Council member Nurredin Dara, who proposed handing 
them over to Iran. 
The group is responsible for many terrorist attacks against 
civilians and officials inside Iran, plotted from their bases in Iraq.
Khatami hoped occupation forces in Iraq would transfer power to 
its people, saying `with the pullout of the occupiers and handing over
of affairs to Iraqis, we will have a powerful Iraq with high culture 
in the region`. 
Tehran is still reeling from a destructive war between 1980 and 
1988, imposed under Saddam and marked by the Baath regime blatantly 
using chemical and biological weapons against Iranians as well as the 
Iraqi Kurds. 
Khatami said, "I predict a good future for Iraq, given the record,
good qualities and awareness of the Iraqi people. 
"We hope the future Iraq will be beneficial for the region," he 
added. 
BH/AH/210 
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