UK: British Prime Minister Tony Blair says that evidence pointed to Iran or its Lebanese Hizbollah allies as the source of sophisticated explosives used in roadside bombs in Iraq

Record ID: 565109

  • Title: UK: British Prime Minister Tony Blair says that evidence pointed to Iran or its Lebanese Hizbollah allies as the source of sophisticated explosives used in roadside bombs in Iraq
  • Date: 6th October 2005
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) U.K. PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR, SAYING: "What is clear is that there have been new explosive devices used, not just against British troops but elsewhere in Iraq. The particular nature of those devices lead us either to Iranian elements or to Hizbollah, because they are similar devices to those used by Hizbollah, that is funded and supported by Iran. However we cannot be sure of this at the present time." CLOSE UP: TALABANI LISTENING; BLAIR SPEAKING/ PAN TO JOURNALISTS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.K. PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR, SAYING: "But I want to make it very, very clear, and this has been made clear to the Iranian government and I make it clear again, the British forces are in Iraq under a United Nations mandate today. We're there with the support of the United Nations-backed Iraqi government. There is no justification for Iran or any other country interfering in Iraq. Neither will we be subjected to any intimidation in raising the necessary and right issues to do with the nuclear weapons obligations of Iran and the Atomic Energy Agency treaty."
  • Embargoed: 21st October 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA68PAUGDVMCN94R5YRXZBNC75P
  • Story Text: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday (October 6, 2005) that evidence pointed to Iran or its Lebanese Hizbollah allies as the source of sophisticated explosives used in roadside bombs in Iraq, although Britain did not have proof.
    The accusations, first made by a senior British official in an anonymous briefing on Wednesday, have added to tensions between Britain and Iran at a time when London and Washington are seeking U.N. action over Iranian nuclear programmes.
    The British official said London believed that Iran and Hizbollah had provided deadly armour-piercing explosives and infra-red devices used to kill British troops in Iraq.
    Tehran denies it helps militants in Iraq.
    Blair said the accusations were not proven but were worrying. He also said they may have been an attempt by Iran to intimidate Britain over its tough stance in nuclear talks.
    "What is clear is that there have been new explosive devices used, not just against British troops but elsewhere in Iraq. The particular nature of those devices lead us either to Iranian elements or to Hizbollah, because they are similar devices to those used by Hizbollah, that is funded and supported by Iran. however we cannot be sure of this at the present time," he told a news conference after meeting Iraq's President Jalal Talabani.
    Eight British soldiers have been killed by roadside bombs since May. Both British and U.S. commanders say recent attacks in Iraq have used "shaped charges" with greater killing power and that this may have required outside expertise.
    The Iranian- and Syrian-backed Shi'ite group Hizbollah has used similar devices against Israeli troops in Lebanon, the British official said, prompting suspicion of an Iranian link.
    Britain and the United States have accused Iran of meddling in Iraq for many months, but the accusations of helping provide deadly explosives are more specific than in the past.
    They come at a time when Tehran is quarrelling with the West over a nuclear programme it says is peaceful but which Western countries say is aimed at developing atomic weapons.
    Britain, along with Germany and France, led failed talks aimed at restricting Iran's nuclear ambitions and now support the United States in referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions next month.
    "But I want to make it very, very clear, and this has been made clear to the Iranian government and I make it clear again, the British forces are in Iraq under a United Nations mandate today. We're there with the support of the United Nations-backed Iraqi government. There is no justification for Iran or any other country interfering in Iraq. Neither will we be subjected to any intimidation in raising the necessary and right issues to do with the nuclear weapons obligations of Iran and the Atomic Energy Agency treaty," said Blair.
    Talabani, who is a Kurd, said the Iraqi government would investigate the charges.
    However, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, a Shi'ite Muslim, rejected accusations from other countries that Shi'ite Iran was interfering in Iraq. Saudi Arabia, as well as Britain and the United States, have made such charges.
    Talabani and Blair met for talks on Iraq's upcoming referendum on a new constitution, which Talabani said would not be impeded by increasing violence in Iraq.
    "As terrorists couldn't prevent us from participating in the January elections, when more than 8 and a half million Iraqis voted for the new national assembly, I think they will fail to prevent Iraqis from participating in the referendum for the constitution," he said.
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