IRAN FM WARNS AGAINST POSSIBLE CONFLICT BETWEEN CIVILISATIONS
LONDON 22 Sept. (IPS) Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi warned Friday against any "hasty action" in Afghanistan by the United States that would lead to a confrontation between civilisations.
In a rare interview granted to the BBC, Mr. Kharrazi, a devout Muslim, also said Iran’s President had not sent any message to his American counterpart via Mr. Tony Blair, Britain’s Prime Minister.He was referring to an unprecedented "mid-air" telephone conversation Thursday between Mr. Blair and Mr. Khatami and in which the later stressed on the need of a "well calculated and thought" international measure, led by the United Nations, against terrorism.
The 15 minutes conversations took place as Mr. Blair was flying to Washington to meet President Bush and discuss with him mounting an international coalition aimed against Mr. Osama Ben Laden, the prime suspect in the 11 September terrorist operations in New York and in Washington D.C.
"I had a remarkable conversation with the Iranian President", Mr. Blair announced to correspondents traveling with him, adding cheerfully "I have just put down the phone after a conversation with the president of Iran, and that in itself was a remarkable conversation", Mr. Blair said.
The talks prompted speculations that Mr. Khatami might have sent a message to Mr. Bush concerning the recent developments, following the devastating suicide actions attributed to Mr. Ben Laden.
"President Khatami had sent no message nor did he asked Mr. Blair to convey any message on his behalf to Mr. Bush", Mr. Kharrazi observed in the interview, granted prior of the arrival in the Iranian capital of the British Foreign Minister Mr. Jack Straw.
Mr. Straw was supposed to travel to Tehran next month, but he decided to make it next week following the Khatami-Blair telephone conversation and the letters they had exchanged earlier.
"The two discussed their preoccupations about the present situation. What is important to us is that the event (crushing of passenger loaded jetliner into the World Trade Center towers in New York and into the Pentagon building in Washington) should not end up in a confrontation between civilisations and in my opinion, any mistake in decisions, even a minor one, could lead to such a confrontation", Mr. Kharrazi told the BBC’s correspondent in Tehran, Mr. Jim Muir.
He said it is very important that Muslims public opinion be taken into consideration, for, he added, any "slight and minor mistake could trigger a clash between civilisations. And this what makes us worried".
However, he did not meant that the 1.2 billion Muslim world should defend Mr. Ben Laden, explaining: "If he has done this (the attack on the United States), he must be harnessed without doubt, as this is an unjustified act of mass killing of innocent people that no one supports".
Iranian officials, including Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the staunchly anti-American leader of the regime and the people have strongly condemned the tragic event from the outset and expressed sympathy with the American people and the families of the victims, with youngsters staging candlelight vigil, but at the same time have ruled out participating in an international campaign against terrorism if led by the United States.
The two countries have no diplomatic relations, but several voices among reformists have urged President Khatami to use the occasion to diffuse the 22 years stalemate and start an official dialogue with Washington.
In the interview, Mr. Kharrazi expressed Iranian concern about the "extension" into Iranian territory of an American invasion of Afghanistan, as it might trigger an influx of Afghan refugees in Iran, which already hosts more than a million of Afghans displaced by more than 20 years of devastating civil war.
"It is quite natural that military operations in Afghanistan bring an influx of Afghan refugees in Iran. Moreover, innocent people would become victims as well, as noticed already. Military operation can be justified if the responsibility of particular individuals or groups in the attacks is proved, other wise, if innocent people are killed and wounded, no one can justify", he concluded. ENDS KHARRAZI BBC US EXPLOSIONS 22901