Iran dismisses reports of arms deal with Iraq

 
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major.tom
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler


Joined: 21 Jan 2007
Location: BC, Canada

PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 5:41 pm    Post subject: Iran dismisses reports of arms deal with Iraq Reply with quote

Quote:
Iran dismisses reports of arms deal with Iraq

Updated Sun. Jul. 22 2007 7:54 AM ET

Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's foreign ministry spokesman on Sunday dismissed as a "media game" recent reports of a secret arms deal with Syria allegedly made in return for an agreement that Damascus would not hold peace talks with Israel.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini refused to provide confirmation of the deal and questioned how the media would know about it if it was confidential.

"This is a media game," said Hosseini during his weekly news briefing. "It is not confirmed."

The Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported Saturday that Iran would provide $1 billion to Syria for advanced weapons procurement and would assist the country with nuclear research and the development of chemical weapons, with the understanding that Damascus would not negotiate peace with Israel.

The deal was allegedly signed Thursday when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Syria, said the newspaper. Israeli media later rebroadcast the report.

Both Syrian President Bashar Assad and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert have publicly called for renewed peace talks recently, but have clashed over the specifics.

Assad has demanded a guarantee that Israel would pull out of all of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau captured from Syria in the 1967 war. He has also demanded a mediator or "honest broker" for the talks. Olmert has refused to commit in advance to a full withdrawal and has indicated a preference for direct talks.

Syria is Iran's closest Arab ally. The two countries have had close relations since 1980 when Syria sided with Persian Iran against Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Both countries face U.S. accusations of fueling violence in Iraq and supporting Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla group, which Washington labels a terrorist organization. They are also accused of supporting militant anti-Israeli Palestinian groups, like Hamas.


---
This story prompted me to write the following message to CTV:

Re: Honest Mistake or Propaganda?

I write in response to the following story:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070722/arms_iran_070722/20070722?hub=World

I fail to see what this story has to do with Iraq, aside from the tangential accusation made in the closing paragraph, one which is parroted repeatedly on behalf of the U.S. government.

It saddens me greatly to think that this is what now passes for "journalism.".
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Salim201



Joined: 12 Jan 2007

PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"militant anti-Israeli Palestinian groups, like hamas"

weren't they democratically elected as a legitimate government? When hamas and hezbollah are regarded as terrorist groups in the media they don't make it clear enough that only the US considers these groups terrorist groups, France has reclassified its position on hezbollah, Russia opposed the isolation of Hamas, these are only a few examples of the ambiguity surrounding these 'binary' accusations that journalists let subjectivity get in the way of.
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major.tom
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler


Joined: 21 Jan 2007
Location: BC, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good points, Salim. I was most taken back by the title and how little it had to do with the content of the story. I mean, where in the story is there any mention of an arms deal between Iran and Iraq? The story's about Syria. Then they throw that tripe in the final paragraph (which they must be contractually required to do, since it's always the same old gib).

And this is Canadian news. I find it disgusting.

</rant>
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faceless
admin


Joined: 25 Apr 2006

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd have probably written something that was a bit less polite...

like 'Call yourselves journalists you bunch of cunts?'
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popinjay



Joined: 02 Jan 2007

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about "militant anti-Palestinian groups, like the US/Israeli governments..."
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major.tom
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler


Joined: 21 Jan 2007
Location: BC, Canada

PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see this morning they've completely changed the content of that link. Fortunately, I saved a copy of the original article, which I'll later use to fix the original post.
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