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Ahmadinejad: Iraqi nation treading path to progress Tehran, March 1, IRNA

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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here Saturday that the Iraqi nation has chosen the path to progress vigilantly and strongly.

Addressing a press conference prior to his Iraq visit, President Ahmadinejad said regional people should help one another and try to solve their problems.

Iran and Iraq share closer bonds compared to other regional nations, said Ahmadinejad, adding that the Iranian and Iraqi nations have had top level cultural and religious relations.

He went on to say that he hoped his Sunday visit to Iraq will help bolster mutual ties.

The president said the Iraqi nation should wisely, vigilantly and firmly tread the path to progress despite the ongoing pressures.

The Iraqi nation is a great nation, having a rich culture and civilization and efficient workforce, being capable of solving its problems without foreign help, added the Iranian president.

He said there has been no discord among Iraqi Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and Turkmens throughout history before the country's occupation.

He added that the Iraqi nation's strength will benefit all regional nations and noted, "We think insecurity, dissension and violence in Iraq are the result of the plots of occupation forces because there had been no such differences at all prior to the country's occupation.

The ongoing bloodshed, that has been claiming lives of Iraqi children, has been imposed on the Iraqi nation."
The president noted that the occupiers use ongoing insecurity in Iraq as a pretext to continue occupation.

"We believe that the Iraqi nation is capable of maintaining security and running their own affairs themselves. Anybody feeling pity for the Iraqi nation is advised to help the nation materialize their wishes," he added.

As for Americans' claim that Iran intervenes in Iraq's internal affairs, Ahmadinejad said, "Iran's relations with regional states are too close and influential. Of course Iran has not gained the influence through such measures as military presence in the region as Americans did. We believe regional nations are mature enough to run their country themselves without any need to foreigners. It is an habit of the Americans to blame others whenever they fail and come across with difficulty."
Emphasizing that the Iranian nation has close ties with Iraqi Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites, Ahmadinejad said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always invited all Iraqi social and ethnic groups to unity and convergence because Tehran considers security in Iraq as its own. That's because Iran will suffer the most from insecurity in Iraq."
He said occupiers consider a powerful and independent Iraq as being detrimental to their interests, thus accusing Iran of meddling in the country's internal affairs.

"Iran does not need to interfere in Iraq and is a friend to all groups there. Isn't it ridiculous that those having 160,000 soldiers in Iraq are accusing us of interference?" questioned the president.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ahmadinejad said Iran and Iraq need to expand mutual political, cultural and economic cooperation. "We cannot establish ties based on others' views. We announced readiness to negotiate with Americans solely to help the Iraqi nation. So, it is not important for us what others think. What's of importance is that the Iraqi nation will be able to regain their position in the region and the world."
Asked about a possible US military strike on Iran, Ahmadinejad said, "I think it is unlikely to happen. The US has not been victorious in any battle. Contrary to hues and cries, the US army is not so much powerful because politicians do not let the army remain strong. Even if it is powerful, I think it will be unlikely for them to go into another war with the Iranian nation. So, we are not worried."
He said that if the US or any other power decides to encounter the Iranian nation once again, the nation will give a crushing response to them as it has already announced.

The best option for Americans is to have friendly and honorable ties with regional nations and Iraq is a scene for testing the US government's sincerity, he added.

He expressed confidence that the Iraqi nation will overcome problems sooner or later, adding that in that case, the countries hich have declined to help the Iraqi nation under difficult and tough conditions will become regretful.

"So, I recommend regional nations to have closer ties with one another and try to solve their problems. Of course, some countries have been under pressure and had it not been for the great powers' pressures, they would have definitely assisted the Iraqi nation," he added.

To a question about Iran's economic relations with Iraq, Ahmadinejad said economic cooperation between the two sides are at a favorable level and Iran tries to address the Iraqi nation's needs as much as it can.

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/lin...7696171353.htm