Thursday, September 27, 2001

Iran will not support American, allied attack
By Ali Akbar Dareini
Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s supreme leader ruled out Iranian help for any U.S.-led attack on neighboring Afghanistan, saying Wednesday that the United States was not “competent” to lead a global campaign and calling U.S. behavior “disgusting.”

In a state-run television address to the nation, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the U.S. administration was “over-expectant” in wanting the whole world to help it following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“Iran will not participate in any move under U.S. leadership. Iran will not extend any assistance to the U.S. and its allies in attacking the already suffering Muslim neighboring Afghanistan,” Khamenei said in an address to families of soldiers killed in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

America’s behavior, by expecting help but not earning the respect of other nations, was “disgusting,” Khamenei said, adding that Iran did not consider the United States “competent and sincere (enough) to lead any global campaign against terrorism.” He did not elaborate.

Khamenei’s remarks were the clearest made yet by Iran in response to suggestions that Washington may call on Iran to join a U.S.-led global force to fight terrorism.

Washington and Tehran do not have diplomatic ties, and Iran is on the State Department list of countries suspected of sponsoring terrorism. However, Washington has said it is willing to consider including Iran in an international anti-terrorism coalition.

Iran has maintained that the United Nations should lead any alliance against terrorism and expressed its opposition to unilateral U.S. retaliation against the Taliban, who harbors Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw praised the Iranian stance after talks on the fight against terrorism.

“We stand together in opposing terrorism of that kind," after he met Iranian officials,” he said.

But Straw, on the highest level British visit to Iran since 1979, added that he had not brought any message from the United States.

Khamenei on Wednesday also rejected America’s declaration to the world that nations had to choose between being “with us or terrorism.”