Rafsanjani: US officials obstinacy on Iran nuclear program reveals hostility

Chairman of Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Sunday that obstinacy of the US officials towards Iranian nuclear program indicated their hostility toward Iran.
He said that they have gone to extremes in introducing Iranian nuclear program to the extent that even countries in this region which are friendly to them have raised their voice against growing threats posed by Israeli nuclear arms stockpiles to regional peace and security.
In a meeting with political leaders of Iraqi Kurdistan province, Rafsanjani said that the countries in the region friendly to the US have faulted US foreign policy and its double standards.
He said that all Iraqi nationals are brothers irrespective of being Shia or Sunni Muslims or people from Kurdistan province.
"We wished to develop cooperation with the Iraqi people even when Iraq had imposed war on Iran (in 1980s)."
Rafsanjani expressed concern about continued occupation of Iraq and consequent sufferings of Iraqi people and said that unfortunately, the enemies whip up tension to justify their occupation and gain a foothold on energy resources and strategic location of Iraq.
He said that disagreements in the United States over the Middle East policy especially Iran indicated the US administration's lack of logic.
"The conflict is to the extent that the US House of Representatives has called for an inquiry into the intelligence reports."
He said that the situation in the region calls for developing cooperation in the region and political maturity to secure the national interests of every country.
Rafsanjani said that Iraqi Kurdish population have cultural, religious and racial affinity with Iranians and the Iranian Kurdish population adding that the leaders of Iraqi Kurdistan province have always been friends to Iran under Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
He thanked Iraqi President Jalal Talabani for rejecting US accusation that Iran is meddling in Iraqi affairs.
Sheikh Ali Bapir, leader of Iraqi Jamaat-Islami of Kurdistan province thanked Iran for the assistance it extended to Iraqi people and said that Islam is the common religion of the Iranian and Iraqi nations and it will save the two nations from any conspiracy.
Salahuddin Muhammad Baha-Uddin, secretary general of Islamic Union of Iraqi Kurdistan, called for using Iranian experience in carrying out development projects.
Muhammad Mulla Qader, member of political office of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) thanked Iran for humanitarian assistance after chemical attack against Halabja by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on March 15-19, 1988.

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Background:
Learn about the recent NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) report that states that Iran is not presently in possession of or attempting to create nuclear weapons at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7126429.stm

Learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/803257.stm

Learn about the conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims at:
http://hnn.us/articles/934.html

Do you agree with this Iranian newspaper that the US administration is deliberately looking for ways to continue pressure on Iran and other countries in the Middle East?

Do you think that the United States’ relationship with ally Israel makes relationships with Muslim countries more strained (due to the ongoing struggle between Israel and the Muslim Palestinians over land?

Do you agree with the assertion that all Muslims – both Shiite and Sunni, can and will come together to protect each other from the United States and Israel?
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Tehran, Dec 9, IRNA