Apr 20, 2004, 8:46 PM

Tehran Vehemently Rejects U.S. Greater Middle East Initiative: Karrubi

DAMASCUS, April 20 (MNA) -- Iran vehemently rejects the U.S. greater Middle East initiative, said Iranian Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi in a meeting with a group of Syrian parliamentarians in Damascus.

Karrubi added that Iran is seriously opposed to any U.S. plan against the interests of regional states.

He said the U.S. government has shown its hostility towards the Islamic world with its unconditional support of Israel.

He cautioned the occupiers in Iraq not to fan the fires of chaos in Najaf and other shrine cities of Iraq, saying the U.S. occupiers would be held accountable for any assault on those cities.

The Iranian parliamentarian stressed that the occupation of Iraq must end with the withdrawal of the foreign invaders and sovereignty restored to the Iraqi people.

Karrubi said the continuation of the occupation of Iraq would only further complicate the situation in the region.

He stated that the Iranian nation and government are strongly opposed to the Zionist regime and pledge their full support for the Palestinian resistance.

He added that Tehran wants to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and the return of all Palestinian refugees to their homeland.

Explaining that Iran's relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is "transparent and sincere", Karrubi added that U.S. pressure has politicized the issue of Iran’s nuclear dossier.

He went on to say that all independent states are entitled to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Karrubi also noted that Iranian women face no legal restrictions on their participation in either society or the political arena.

For his part, Syrian People's Assembly Speaker Mahmud al-Abrash said that the assassinations of Palestinian leaders by Israel are acts of state terrorism, stressing that Damascus seeks peace in the region on the basis of international law and consensus.

He reiterated his country's opposition to terrorism, saying Syrians are the victims of this "sinister" phenomenon.

Karrubi, heading a high-ranking political-economic delegation, arrived in Damascus on Monday for a three-day visit at the invitation of al-Abrash.

A number of Iranian MPs and Foreign Ministry officials accompanied Karrubi on the visit.

On the next leg of his trip, Karrubi is scheduled to travel to Lebanon at the invitation of Lebanese National Assembly Speaker Nabih Berri.

Analysts believe Karrubi's visits to Syria and Lebanon are significant in light of recent events, especially in Iraq and occupied Palestine.