Posted on 07/07/2005 7:36:26 AM PDT by Grendel9
Thursday 07 July 2005, 13:10 Makka Time, 10:10 GMT
Iraq's defence minister (R) meeting Iran's president [picture]
Former foes Iran and Iraq have said they will sign a military cooperation agreement that will include Iranian help in training Iraq's armed forces.
The agreement marks a considerable advance in relations between the two countries that fought a bitter 1980-1988 war and comes despite repeated US accusations that Iran has undermined security in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
"It's a new chapter in our relations with Iraq. We will start wide defence cooperation," Iranian Defence Minister Admiral Ali Shamkhani told a joint news conference with visiting Iraqi counterpart Sadoun al-Dulaimi.
"We're going to form some committees which will be involved in mine clearance, identifying those missing from the war and also ... to help train, rebuild and modernise the Iraqi army," Shamkhani added.
Iran last year offered to train Iraqi border guards, but Baghdad declined the offer.
US and Iraqi officials have often accused Iran of stirring up instability in Iraq. Tehran denies meddling in Iraq or helping, arming or letting foreign fighters cross its borders.
"Nobody can dictate to Iraq its relations with other countries"
Sadoun al-Dulaimi, Iraqi defence minister
Asked about possible US opposition to Iran-Iraq military cooperation, Shamkhani said: "No one can prevent us from reaching an agreement."
Iraq's al-Dulaimi echoed Shamkhani's comments.
"Nobody can dictate to Iraq its relations with other countries," he said.
I don't like this at all.
do you have a link for this?
"I wonder if this is the culmination of those "meetings of the military with the enemy forces" that Rumsfeldt was asked about over a week ago."
No, those were Sunni forces
There isn't anyone who views this as a postive development, right?
No those meetings were between Iraqi insurgents and the Coalition. Those meetings did not include foreign fighters.
Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies even closer. - Sun Tzu
Iran to train Iraqi military?
What the f*ck do they have to teach them? How to storm an embassy? Hostage abuse 101 and 102? Intro to pray n spray? Transportation and terrorism?
Much more preferable for them to be at each other's throats.
The demarcation lines for the Iraqi civil war are being established.
A shia Iraq and a shia Iran.
I dunno. On the one hand, a free Iraq could be an influence/ally to Iranians who also want the same freedom, providing the two come in contact with each other; on the other, is Iraq strong enough to repel Iran's force of will?
One of the goals was for Iraq to influence the region, was it not? I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, as it's going to happen anyway.
Allegiances are changed more often than underwear in that part of the world. That's why we must get them hooked on personal liberty, democracy and capitalism.
Weren't some folks "hooked on phonics" a while back?
al brazeera?
I have always felt that as soon as Iraq can get on it's feet they will turn on the US. If blood is thicker than water, then this Muslim culture is thicker than blood.
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