Stop Fundamentalism – A local daily, Az-Zaman, reported on, May 25 that Iraqi political leaders based in London turned down Tehran’s mediation request for talks with different Iraqi groups due to Iran’s ambiguous intentions.
The leaders said the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had introduced a secret article to Iran’s budget bill, allocating some one billion dollars for assistance to Iraqi parties and groups. A former Revolutionary Guards officer by the name of Ja’afari has been assigned to oversee the distribution of the funds.
Iran has been accused of meddling in its neighboring country by many political groups and the coalition forces in Iraq.
Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zibari, in a statement on May 26 clearly directed towards his visiting Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, urged Iraq’s neighbors to “understand the circumstances in Iraq and the security and political complications involved and not take advantage.â€
Also in a clear reference to Tehran, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has accused institutions and charitable organizations in neighboring countries of funding armed groups in Iraq. “It is the neighbors’ obligation to control the activities of these organizations if they want normal relations with Iraq,†Maliki said.
