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Iran rejects reports over illegal Iranian trips into Iraq

IRNA

Tehran, Nov 2, IRNA -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi 
here on Sunday rejected reports over illegal trips of Iranian 
nationals into Iraq, stressing that Iran`s borders with Iraq are under
control. 
"Our borders are under control and we confront anyone who 
illegally crosses the borders," Asefi told reporters at his weekly 
press conference. 
"We never allow any group to cross into Iraq from the Islamic 
Republic." 
He refreshed Iran`s calls that the occupation troops must leave 
Iraq as soon as possible, and criticized the US for pinning the blame 
for the problems that have resulted from the occupation of Iraq on 
foreign elements. 
"The occupation troops will face more problems day by day. We had 
declared before that it is to the benefit of the occupiers to leave 
Iraq," Asefi said. 
"The US arrogantly entered Iraq on the basis of wrong 
calculations, and they soon realized that the Iraq quagmire is more 
complicated than what they had imagined". 
The Foreign Ministry spokesman recalled Iran`s programs for the 
reconstruction of Iraq, stressing that those programs are within the 
frameworks of UN. 
"The Iraqi officials from the beginning voiced interest toward 
Iran`s participation in (the reconstruction of) Iraq. We do not think 
that this is a problem from the viewpoint of the Iraqi officials," he 
said. 
Asefi further recalled the failure of the Iraqi Foreign Minister 
Hoshyar Zebari to participate in a ministerial meeting of Iraq`s 
neighbors in Damascus, stressing that Tehran believes that Iraq`s 
presence in the meeting could have proved "very fruitful". 
He further stressed that Iraq`s neighbors are worried about the 
insecurity, terrorism and instability in the country, adding that 
Iraq`s neighbors have their own worries in that connection. 
Asefi also recalled the issue of the presence of foreign troops 
from regional states in Iraq, stressing that any measure to that 
effect must be first approved by the Iraqi people and must be carried 
out under the aegis of UN. 
"We do not consider the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq as 
positive, even though Turkish officials have apparently reviewed their
decision (to send troops to Iraq)," he said. 
AA/211 
End