08 December 2004
U.S. Seeks "Helpful Role" in Elections from Iraq's Neighbors
White House urges Iran, Syria to avoid meddling in Iraqi elections
By Julie Lippmann
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Iran must play a "constructive and helpful" role in upcoming Iraqi elections and adhere to its recent commitment to Iraqi stability and tightened border control between the two countries, says White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan.
"We've made it very clear that Iran needs to play a constructive and helpful role in Iraq," McClellan told reporters at a December 8 press briefing. As signatories to a communiqué that emerged from a meeting of international leaders at Sharm el-Sheikh, both Iran and Syria pledged that they "would act responsibly and live up to the commitments made in that communiqué," said McClellan.
"Iran did make a commitment," he said. "We expect them to abide by that commitment," he added.
The communiqué, produced late in November at an international conference on Iraq at the Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh, calls on all participating countries to promote the stability of Iraq; to work together on strengthening Iraq's borders against terrorists, eliminating terrorist financing, and blocking the importation of weapons; and to move forward on the elections timetable established by the independent Iraqi Election Commission, McClellan said.
"We talk about these issues very publicly when it comes to Iraq's neighbors," he said.
Adam Ereli, deputy State Department spokesman, said it was "fairly clear" that Iran is attempting to wield influence in Iraq in various ways. There is concern, he said, about the intentions and activities of Iran regarding internal affairs in Iraq, including "interference in the electoral process."
Ereli, addressing reporters at a December 8 briefing, said that regarding elections, the insurgency or other political events in Iraq, the United States has been "outspoken" in encouraging the Iranian government "to live up and honor its publicly stated policy of supporting the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Iraq."
Iran "can't have it both ways," he said.
Ereli added that the relationship between Syria and the insurgency and instability in Iraq "continues to be a concern of ours and a focus of our diplomacy."
The deputy spokesman also said that the issue of border control and insurgents crossing over the Syrian border into Iraq was a concern that Secretary of State Colin Powell raised with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara at their meeting at Sharm el-Sheikh. Ereli explained that Powell noted the progress that has been made in securing the border between Syria and Iran, but that the United States needs to "continue to see concrete steps taken."
Powell also made the point, Ereli said, that political elements of the insurgency in Iraq were "present and active" in Syria and that this was "inconsistent with Syrian statements, public statements and public commitments of support for Iraqi stability and territorial integrity," Ereli said.
"... [W]e look to Syria to act responsibly in this matter and to see to it that people could not point the finger at Syria and say that activity contributing to the instability and insurgency in Iraq was emanating or being conducted on Syrian territory."
"That's an important benchmark for us," he added.
McClellan pointed to the solidarity of the international community on accountability issues for Iraq's neighbors and expressed his hope in progress leading up to elections.
"[T]he entire international community I think is coming together to express some of these same concerns that we have expressed with both [Iran and Syria]. And we will continue to work with the international community to keep pressure on these countries to take the responsible steps necessary and the commitments that they have made," he said.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=December&x=20041208184654pjnnamppil0.4427606&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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