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Iraq’s election a victory for Iran, says Rafsanjani
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran
12/16/05 "FT" -- -- Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran’s influential
former president, on Friday called Iraq’s parliamentary elections a
“victory” for Iran and said the vote had shattered any US
expansionist ambitions in the Middle East.
He also criticised Washington for refusing to give Tehran a role in
its Iraq policy.
“The election was a victory won by the Iraqi nation, which we share
with them, because we paid a price for its preparation - since the
Iran-Iraq war [1980-1988] and the Ba’athist regime,” Mr Rafsanjani
told Friday worshippers at Tehran University campus. “Although Iraq
has still a difficult future ahead, the trend is on the right
track.”
The US accuses Iran of misusing its influence and fuelling the
insurgency to destabilise Iraq. Iran denies such charges and argues
that stability in Iraq is in line with its national interests.
Mr Rafsanjani is known as a pragmatic conservative who favours
strategic co-operation with the US in the region. “It could be to
the US’s benefit not to ignore Iran’s role; instead, they were
hostile wherever they could be,” Mr Rafsanjani said.
© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005
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