Iran-US-Ahmar
Thursday, January 18, 2007 

A Pakistani academic said on Wednesday that the US forces' assault on Iranian consulate in Iraqi city of Erbil was a plot to sever Tehran-Baghdad ties.

"The approach by Americans, which is contrary to all the international regulations, is a new conspiracy against stronger ties between the two neighbors," said professor of International Relations at Pakistani University of Karachi Mounes Ahmar in an interview with IRNA here on Wednesday.

Ahmar said Americans accuse others of launching acts of terror, while their gesture in Erbil is terrorism in nature.

He stressed that the Iraqi government is mainly responsible for non-diplomatic behaviors, and it has the obligation to follow up the case based on the procedures.

He said the Americans had not been in the position to launch the invasion.

"Iran's consular activities in Erbil followed diplomatic and legal norms," he added.

He went on to say that Iran should alike the past lodge complaint at an international tribunal against the assault and hostage taking.

He said Shiites are not alone in opposing military presence of the US and its allies in Iraq and all the religious and political groups are against it.

The Karachi University lecturer said western media had been coordinately piling up pressure on Iran. "Adverse propaganda, false dissemination of new and hues and cry have been on the rise in a matter of few days," he added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Ahmar said it seems that by expedition of 20,000 more troops to Iraq, Washington tries to turn he country into a military garrison against Iran.

He said Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki should deal with the case seriously so as to prove non-dependence of Iraqi government to Americans and to foil the plot to promote bilateral ties.