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U.S. Warns Iran About Meddling in Iraq
Aired April 23, 2003 - 15:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's David Ensor has more on how politics and religion can intersect in the Middle East.
Hello, David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They can intersect quite a bit, Miles. With U.S. officials saying Iranian agents are moving into Iraq in increasing numbers, Washington is repeating warnings it has already given to Tehran before the war -- not to meddle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We note that some recent reports about Iranian activities, and we have made clear to Iran that we would oppose any outside organization's interference in Iraq, interfering with their road to democracy.
Infiltration of agents to destabilize the Sh'ia population clearly fall into that category, and that is the position we have made clear to the government of Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: That message went through diplomatic channels in recent days. Officials say there was a similar message just before the war from Zalmai Halizad (ph), President Bush's special envoy at a meeting with Iranian officials in Geneva.
The fear, of course, is that Iranian agents in Iraq will try to take advantage of the power vacuum that the coalition overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government has created.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no doubt that Iranian Intelligence agents and revolutionary guards are in Iraq today because to the extent that they can help set up an Islamic Republic of Iraq, they would have accomplished their mission. In addition to that, the goal of the Iranian government is for The United States not to succeed in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: But other analysts in and out of government are less worried. They say the influence of Iran and Iraq is, in fact, somewhat limited. The Iraqi Sh'ia are Arab, not Persian. The two countries fought a bloody war, and these analysts argue that Iran does not want a confrontation with the U.S. over Iraq and would, in fact, like to warm up its frosty relationship with Washington.
Former Iranian leader Ali Rashlenjani (ph) recently suggested putting to a popular vote in Iran whether to improve relations with the U.S. And polls suggest the idea would win handily in a nation where clerical rule and anti-Americanism is no longer so popular.
As for the dramatic scenes in Iraqi streets of Sh'ia Faithful for the first time in many years -- marking a key religious holiday with some young men beating their heads until they bled to mark the death of an important figure in Sh'ia Islam.
U.S. officials are saying those scenes may look alarming, but they are, in fact, a sign of freedom, of venting frustration after years of suppression and not necessarily signs of support for an Islamic state.
Sources are saying that the administration's man, Zalmai Halizad, has also emphasized to Iranian officials how much better U.S./Irani relations could quickly become if there is cooperation, not meddling, on Iraq -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's David Ensor in Washington, thank you very much -- Judy.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 23, 2003 - 15:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's David Ensor has more on how politics and religion can intersect in the Middle East.
Hello, David.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They can intersect quite a bit, Miles. With U.S. officials saying Iranian agents are moving into Iraq in increasing numbers, Washington is repeating warnings it has already given to Tehran before the war -- not to meddle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We note that some recent reports about Iranian activities, and we have made clear to Iran that we would oppose any outside organization's interference in Iraq, interfering with their road to democracy.
Infiltration of agents to destabilize the Sh'ia population clearly fall into that category, and that is the position we have made clear to the government of Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: That message went through diplomatic channels in recent days. Officials say there was a similar message just before the war from Zalmai Halizad (ph), President Bush's special envoy at a meeting with Iranian officials in Geneva.
The fear, of course, is that Iranian agents in Iraq will try to take advantage of the power vacuum that the coalition overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government has created.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no doubt that Iranian Intelligence agents and revolutionary guards are in Iraq today because to the extent that they can help set up an Islamic Republic of Iraq, they would have accomplished their mission. In addition to that, the goal of the Iranian government is for The United States not to succeed in Iraq.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENSOR: But other analysts in and out of government are less worried. They say the influence of Iran and Iraq is, in fact, somewhat limited. The Iraqi Sh'ia are Arab, not Persian. The two countries fought a bloody war, and these analysts argue that Iran does not want a confrontation with the U.S. over Iraq and would, in fact, like to warm up its frosty relationship with Washington.
Former Iranian leader Ali Rashlenjani (ph) recently suggested putting to a popular vote in Iran whether to improve relations with the U.S. And polls suggest the idea would win handily in a nation where clerical rule and anti-Americanism is no longer so popular.
As for the dramatic scenes in Iraqi streets of Sh'ia Faithful for the first time in many years -- marking a key religious holiday with some young men beating their heads until they bled to mark the death of an important figure in Sh'ia Islam.
U.S. officials are saying those scenes may look alarming, but they are, in fact, a sign of freedom, of venting frustration after years of suppression and not necessarily signs of support for an Islamic state.
Sources are saying that the administration's man, Zalmai Halizad, has also emphasized to Iranian officials how much better U.S./Irani relations could quickly become if there is cooperation, not meddling, on Iraq -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: CNN's David Ensor in Washington, thank you very much -- Judy.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
