World court to rule on US-Iran row over war-hit oil rigs
Thursday, November 06, 2003
IranMania News
THE HAGUE, Nov 5 (AFP) - The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to rule Thursday on a long-running row between Tehran and its arch-foe Washington over the US destruction of oil platforms during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
The case, in which Iran is demanding unspecified damages, is a potential source of embarrassment for the United States as it recalls the close ties ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime once enjoyed with Washington.
Iran filed a complaint in 1992 with the ICJ, the United Nation's highest judicial body, arguing that the destruction of three oil rigs violated a 1955 friendship treaty between the two countries -- even though diplomatic ties were severed after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
Tehran, one of the world's top oil producers, argues that the attack on the rigs in 1987 and 1988 hurt its oil exports.
It wants the court to order the United states to "make full reparation to Iran for the violation of its international legal obligations and the injury thus caused in a form and amount to be determined by the court".
The United States has filed a countersuit also seeking unspecified damages, claiming that Iran had violated the same treaty by attacking vessels and laying mines in the Gulf.
Both sides presented their arguments in February, with cases before the court frequently taking years to be determined.
Iran said the United States, which led the war that ousted Saddam's regime in April this year, had not been neutral during the Iran-Iraq conflict and had even supplied Baghdad with chemical and biological weapons.
Lawyers for Washington argued that the United States remained neutral during the eight-year war, which cost at least one million lives, because defending its own security interests did not affect its neutrality.
http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=19424&NewsKind=Business%20%26%20Economy"No political cooperation between Moqdata Sadr, Iran"
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
IranMania News
BEIRUT, Nov 5 (AFP) - Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr said there is no political coordination between him and Iran, while also indirectly criticizing anti-US attacks, in a interview published Wednesday.
"There is no political coordination with Iran's leaders whatsoever," Sadr told the Lebanese daily As-Safir.
"Rumors on the existence of such relation only aim to equate us with Lebanon's Hezbollah (Shiite fundamentalist group), and then point a finger at us so that local and foreign forces turn against us," he added.
Iran is a predominantly Shiite country and, along with Syria, is a backer of Hezbollah.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April, US and British officials have fired off a string of allegations against Iran for allegedly undermining post-war reconstruction efforts.
In particular, coalition forces point to what they say is Iran's support for Shiite militia groups as particular cause for concern.
On Sunday, Iran's foreign ministry repeated denials that Tehran was allowing anti-US and British fighters to cross from its soil into Iraq.
Sadr also criticized anti-American attacks, saying "the end result in the last six months is not worth the damage caused to people."
"Besides, the fact that the resistance's goals and those of its supporters are unclear gives rise to suspicions," he told the paper.
"The resistance's weakness and the fact that it is limited to certain geographical areas have given it a particular political hue that does not represent all Iraqis," said the firebrand cleric.
The majority of attacks carried out against the US-led coalition, which has been administering Iraq since last April, have been concentrated in and around Baghdad as well as in Sunni areas in the north-central part of the country.
"Our choice is to struggle pacifically and legally so as to obtain a withdrawal timetable and be able to choose a national government that represents our people," he said.
Asked about squirmishes between his followers and US troops, he said "the occupation forces have attacked some of our offices and forcefully dispersed peaceful demonstrations."
Sadr issued a statement Monday calling for US troops in Iraq to unite with the Iraqi people to avoid "spilling blood."
"It is important to avoid spilling blood, aggression, wars and terrorism to sanctify the fraternity between the two peoples," read the statement obtained by AFP.
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