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Tension rises as U.S., Iran trade charges

SHARM-EL-SHEIKH (Egypt): U.S. President George Bush and Iranian leaders have traded accusations against each other as tensions between the two nations appeared to rise on Sunday.

At a meeting of the World Economic Forum at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm-El-Sheikh, Mr. Bush urged unity among nations to stop Iran, alleging that it was acquiring atomic weapons.

He also advocated a fresh drive to counter the Lebanese political group Hizbollah, the Palestinian Hamas and Syria. Iran has close ties with the Hizbollah and the Hamas. The Hizbollah successfully countered a military attack in July 2006 on South Lebanon by Israel, Washington’s strategic ally. The Hamas has demonstrated its capability to attack Israel at longer ranges, with Grad-type rockets, apparently supplied by Iran.

“To allow the world’s leading sponsor of terror to gain the world’s deadliest weapon would be an unforgivable betrayal of future generations. For the sake of peace, the world must not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Even as Mr. Bush spoke, the pro-U.S. Lebanese Prime Minister held talks with a Hizbollah representative in Qatar. The Hizbollah recently clashed with pro-government forces in Beirut after the government decided to cut-off the group’s secure telecommunication network.

While Iran has not directly responded to Mr. Bush’s remarks, the Iranians accused the U.S. on Sunday of using air power in Iraq to target civilians. Iran’s Foreign Minister said in Tehran it was pointless talking to the Americans on Iraq because of their military actions in Iraq.

“Iraq has been in a special situation in the last month and the multinational forces in the country have not made things easier,” said Mr. Mottaki. Iran’s Press TV claimed that sporadic U.S. military operations have continued in Baghdad’s Sadr City despite last week’s ceasefire agreement between the Iraqi government and Shia militants loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

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