Iraq tells Iran, US to take their fight elsewhere

BAGHDAD: Iraq told the United States and Iran on Thursday to settle their scores elsewhere, while the US military confirmed it had searched Sudan's embassy in Baghdad as part of an anti-insurgent operation.   

"We demand that all respect Iraq's sovereignty. We don't want to be a party to any strife aimed at settling scores," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told a Baghdad news conference.   

In a veiled reference to Tehran, he said: "We want others to respect the presence of the multi-national forces, US and British forces, because they are here as a result of an Iraqi government decision."   

US officials have cranked up pressure on Tehran recently, accusing it of aiding Shiite militias in Iraq and providing sophisticated weapons used by insurgents to target coalition forces.   

But Dabbagh, whose Shiite-dominated government maintains close relations with Tehran, stressed that "we want to preserve ties with our dear neighbour Iran. And we want to develop this relationship based on non-interference."   

Elsewhere, the US military acknowledged it had searched the Sudanese embassy in Baghdad but stressed that it had not broken into the diplomatic mission.   

"Soldiers entered the grounds after requesting entry to embassy guards" on January 13, a statement said.   

A Sudanese foreign ministry spokesman claimed Wednesday in Khartoum that nine US soldiers had attacked the embassy on Tuesday.   

The US statement said that "earlier reports from the coalition that indicated no entry into the embassy grounds were made in error," and added that locked doors within the grounds had been forced open "following consultation with the guards." The search was part of an anti-insurgent operation. US officials say Sudanese nationals comprise one of the largest contingents of foreign fighters taking part in anti-US attacks in Iraq.   

According to the US report, the search came a day after five Iranians who Tehran claims are diplomats were arrested by US troops in the northern city of Arbil on suspicion of supporting insurgent activities.   

Washington also insists that Tehran funds armed groups in Iraq engaged in the sectarian conflict that killed tens of thousands last year and wounded as many more.   

In reply, Iran's ambassador to Baghdad said Thursday that Tehran stood ready to help train and equip Iraqi security forces to fight terrorism.   

Ambassador Hassan Kazemi also demanded to be shown "any shred of evidence that Iran is working to destabilise Iraq."   

In Manama, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said he had told Saudi and Gulf rulers the Iranians were "overplaying their hand" and raising "real concern" about their intentions.   

In Syria, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met with senior politicians and underscored "the two countries' sincere desire and strong will to establish better relations," the SANA news agency reported.   

But while political leaders were speaking to each other or to reporters, the violence continued in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul.   

At least 27 people were killed in various attacks, including a triple bomb blast in a southern Baghdad market that killed 10 and wounded 30.   

In Mosul, gunmen burst into a policeman's wedding celebration and shot dead the bridegroom and three others.   

Meanwhile, the government dismissed a UN report that said more than 34,400 people had been killed in Iraq last year, largely in sectarian violence.   

Government spokesman Dabbagh said the report "does not reflect the reality on the ground."   

Although the disputed data was provided by the health ministry, he added: "Unfortunately the report is not based on official sources."   

When asked if the government could provide its own casualty figures, Dabbagh replied that "we have been unable to gather them due to security reasons."   

Sectarian conflict stymied US President George W. Bush's plan to start withdrawing troops from Iraq and contributed to his party's defeat in US congressional elections.   

But Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said the withdrawal of foreign troops could begin soon if his soldiers were better armed to take on Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.   

"If we... speed up the equipping and providing weapons to our military forces, I think that within three to six months our need for American troops will dramatically go down," Maliki was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper in London.   

The United States has resisted supplying Iraqi troops with heavy or advanced weapons because other arms have ended up in the hands of militiamen and insurgents.