Iraqi officials back away from US charges of Iranian interference
Asked about reports that some rockets made this year and seized in raids against Shiite militias came from Iran, the Baghdad government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Sunday, May 4: ??There is no conclusive evidence.?
He said the Baghdad had appointed a committee to determine whether there is merit to US charges that its eastern neighbor is arming and training Shiite Muslim militants here.
This change in the Maliki government??s tone followed talks in Tehran last week on Iraqi security by an official Iraqi delegation.
Al-Dabbagh said Iraq wants friendly ties with Iran and stressed both countries share common interests. "We can't ignore or deny we are neighbors. We do not want to be pushed in a struggle with any country, especially Iran," he said.
"We are fed up with past tensions that we have paid a costly price for because some parties have pushed Iraq (in the past) to take an aggressive attitude to Iran."
But he also said a crackdown on Shiite militias will not stop, despite word that Iran will not restart security talks with the United States until the fighting is halted.
