2009.09.11: Hill says Iran playing "negative role" in Iraq
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2009.09.11: Hill says Iran playing "negative role" in Iraq
Hill says Iran playing "negative role" in Iraq
"Iran's influence is a reality. We recognize that elements of Iran's influence, such as trade and religious tourism, can have a positive impact on Iraq's economy. Too often, however, Iran has played a negative role, meddling in internal politics or arming and training violent militias," said Hill, during a full committee hearing on Capitol Hill. Hill went on to note that the relationship between Iran and Iraq was long-standing, adding that "there is a cultural relationship, a religious relationship, a commercial relationship" between them, and a feeling of kinship among their Shiite populations. Yet, there is also a "very malevolent relationship" between the two countries. "We see continued signs of Iranian weaponry finding their ways into various insurgent groups in Iraq," Hill said, adding that an Iranian-made rocket once landed in the front yard of his house. Cameroon RPCV Christopher R. Hill is presently US Ambassador to Iraq and formerly served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and U.S. ambassador to South Korea.
Hill says Iran playing "negative role" in Iraq
US envoy says Iran playing "negative role" in Iraq
Updated: Thursday, September 10, 2009
US envoy says Iran playing "negative role" in Iraq
16:30GMT-12:30PM/EST
Washington, 10 September (WashingtonTV)-The US Ambassador in Iraq, Christopher R. Hill, on Thursday accused Iran of playing a "negative role" in Iraq and "meddling" in that country's internal affairs, in statements made in Washington to the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs [HCFA].
"Iran's influence is a reality. We recognize that elements of Iran's influence, such as trade and religious tourism, can have a positive impact on Iraq's economy. Too often, however, Iran has played a negative role, meddling in internal politics or arming and training violent militias," said Hill, during a full committee hearing on Capitol Hill.
Hill went on to note that the relationship between Iran and Iraq was long-standing, adding that "there is a cultural relationship, a religious relationship, a commercial relationship" between them, and a feeling of kinship among their Shiite populations. Yet, there is also a "very malevolent relationship" between the two countries.
"We see continued signs of Iranian weaponry finding their ways into various insurgent groups in Iraq," Hill said, adding that an Iranian-made rocket once landed in the front yard of his house.
"So there is no question that Iran and Iraq should have a long standing relationship, they are after all neighbors, but I think Iran needs to do a much better job of respecting Iraq's sovereignty. And they should start by ceasing to provide weaponry to various extremist groups in Iraq," he said.
Sitting behind Hill, wearing bright yellow t-shirts, were more than a dozen supporters of the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq, where there are now some 3,500 members of Iran's exiled opposition group, the Mujahideen-e-Khalq [MEK], who have lived there since 1986, and who have provided valuable intelligence to the West in 2002 on Iran's nuclear program.
They were protesting against the detention of 36 residents of the camp after Iraqi forces moved to take control of the camp on 28 July. The ensuing violence resulted in the killing of 11 of the residents and injuring of hundreds of others. The faces of the 36 detainees were printed on the protesters' t-shirts.
The MEK advocates the overthrow of the Islamic Republic government of Iran, and due to its history of violence against Iran, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and other western countries.
The Camp Ashraf event prompted the question as to what the US administration was going to do about the fate of the MEK members in Iraq.
Several HCFA committee members today explicitly expressed concern that the United States was not doing enough to protect the residents of Camp Ashraf, and feared Iraq may repatriate them to Iran, where they might face arrest and execution.
"I'm concerned about Iraqi actions being undertaken at the behest of the Iranian regime with respect to Ashraf," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the HFAC.
Hill agreed with the consensus among the committee members that the Iraqi government should not repatriate the residents of Camp Ashraf to Iran.
Source: WashingtonTV correspondent in Washington
© WashingtonTV 2009. All rights reserved.
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Story Source: Washington TV
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Iraq; COS - Iran; Figures; COS - Cameroon; Diplomacy
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