Iraq threatens Iran with military action as tensions flare

Big News Network.com Friday 17th June, 2005



Fears are emerging in the Middle East of the prospect of military conflict between Iraq and Iran.

Friday's front page story in the Gulf News, the widest circulating English newspaper in the region, says tensions between Iran and Iraq have escalated in recent weeks.

The newspaper says threats of military action have been made, attributing its source to a senior member of Iraq's security forces.

General Nazim Mohammad, chief of Iraq's Border Police in Muntheria, told Gulf News in an interview at his headquarters, on the Iraq-Iran frontier, his forces had come under small arms fire from Iran. Iranian troops had also fired mortars which exploded on Iraqi soil, he said.

American officers confirmed there had been mortar strikes, which they said appeared to hit no-man's land between Iraqi and Iranian lines.

When contacted, Laith Kubba, spokesman for the Iraqi Government, told the newspaper, "I don't have any information on this. But these could be smuggling groups which are usually armed. This is not the first time it has happened."

Iranian officials and media, however, cast doubt on the claim. Mosib Nuaimi, Editor-in-Chief of Al Wesaq newspaper, told Gulf News from Iran: "How can mortar shells fall without anyone seeing them? After the recent explosions in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, security has been boosted. But I haven't heard of any tension on the border."

According to Gen Nazim, however, he and other Iraqi officials were sent by the Ministry of Interior to a meeting with Iranian authorities recently.

"I told the Iranians, mortars from the Iranian side are often being fired on the Iraqi side. I have ordered my soldiers, if Iranian soldiers come close to us, we will open fire directly. If I capture your soldiers, I told them, I will parade them on TV in front of the entire world," he told Gulf News.

Gen Nazim, who is believed to be well respected by U.S. forces, said his men had arrested several Iranians involved in sabotage.

"We captured three men and there is proof they blew up oil pipelines near Nuft Khaneh under the orders of Iranian intelligence officers," he said. "They had people working with them in Baquba too.


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