By Bernama,
Tehran : President of Iraq Jalal Talabani Friday evening ruled out the United States’allegations against Iran and alleged involvement in sending weapons to Iraq, Iranian national news agency (Irna) reported.
Speaking in a televised interview with the Al-Arabia TV of Iraq, Talabani said he, as the president of Iraq, did not agree the claims made by some military officers in this regard.
President Talabani said that comments made by certain individuals were their personal ideas and not the official position of the Iraqi government.
Commenting on existence of Iran-made weapons in Iraq, President Talabani explained that the weapons were sent to Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, as Iran had provided Iraqi opposition, including the Patriotic Union for Kurdistan of Iraq, with weapons.
As for Tehran’s alleged interference in Iraq’s internal affairs by negotiating with Iraqi religious leader Moqtada al-Sadr, the Iraqi president said helping Iraq resolve its domestic problems was notinterfering in the country’s internal affairs.
Iran has so far brokered a ceasefire between the Iraqi government and al-Mahdi Army.
He said that Iraqi officials have accepted the principle to form a tripartite relations with Iran and US officials on Iraq security by establishing a tripartite committee.
“That is not called interference, that is a help for Iraq to resolve its problems,” President Talabani added.
Commenting on Algeria Agreement signed between Iranian and Iraqi officials in 1975, the Iraqi president said the agreement was registered with the United Nations as an international document and that it could not be cancelled unilaterally.
He said that the two sides need to reach an understanding on the issue through bilateral talks.
President Talabani expressed his trust in strengthening of Tehran-Baghdad relations as well as cooperation in economic, political and security fields.