IRAN: Rafsanjani leads Eid al-Adha prayers, calling Saddam's execution a sign of God's justice

Record ID: 313593

  • Title: IRAN: Rafsanjani leads Eid al-Adha prayers, calling Saddam's execution a sign of God's justice
  • Date: 31st December 2006
  • Summary: (W2) TEHRAN, IRAN (DECEMBER 31, 2006) (REUTERS) WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS PRAYING CLOSE OF HASHEMI RAFSANJANI PRAYING VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS PRAYING HASHEMI RAFSANJANI WALKING UP TO PODIUM VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS LISTENING TO SPEECH BY HASHEMI RAFSANJANI WIDE OF HASHEMI RAFSANJANI AT THE PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN CLERIC AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI SAYING: "In Iraq the issue of Saddam's execution was the sign of God's historical justice which was promised to all human beings." CLOSE OF TWO CLERIC WORSHIPPERS (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRANIAN CLERIC AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI SAYING: "The issue of sanctions is not an easy situation. They (the West) think by sanctioning Iran and imposing them on the region, Iran will give up. This won't happen. They (the West) will create some problems for themselves, the region and our country. These are not things which would concern Iran. This is a fire that, once lit, will concern many of them." CLOSE OF A CLERIC WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS
  • Embargoed: 15th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVABNX7IEITDQ7VA97W8HRJVC6P3
  • Story Text: Iranian Cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani led Eid al-Adha prayers at Tehran University on Sunday (December 31). He spoke to gathered worshippers saying that Saddam Hussein's execution was a sign of God's justice.
    "In Iraq the issue of Saddam's execution was the sign of God's historical justice which was promised to all human beings," Rafsanjani said, addressing worshippers.
    Saddam was buried in the dead of night early on Sunday in his native village Awja, near Tikrit in northern Iraq, local officials and family sources said.
    New, grainy images appeared on the Internet showing the former Iraqi president being hanged in Baghdad less than 24 hours earlier, showing his body dropping through the trap, something the officially released video had not shown.
    Rafsanjani went on to mention sanctions imposed by the UN security council on Iran.
    "The issue of sanctions is not an easy situation. They (the West) think by sanctioning Iran and imposing them on the region, Iran will give up. This won't happen. They (the West) will create some problems for themselves, the region and our country. These are not things which would concern Iran. This is a fire that, once lit, will concern many of them," he added.
    The UN Security Council banned Iran from importing or exporting sensitive nuclear materials and technology as well as ballistic missile delivery systems in a move aimed at stopping it from nuclear enrichment activities that can be used in nuclear weapons.
    Iran, which denies Western charges that it wants to build nuclear weapons, has pledged to continue its nuclear work despite the sanctions.
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