Iran accuses U.S. of backing Sunni Muslim rebels

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

TEHRAN, June 21 (Reuters) - Iran accused the United States on Saturday of supporting a Sunni Muslim rebel group which said on Friday it had killed two of 16 Iranian policemen kidnapped last week in a volatile area near the border with Pakistan.

Predominantly Shi'ite Iran has previously linked the group, Jundollah (God's Soldiers), to al Qaeda, but government spokesman Gholamhossin Elham did not repeat that on Saturday.

"This terrorist group, which is supported by the Americans, has a history of such terrorist acts," Elham told reporters without giving details.

Iran has often accused Washington and London of trying to destabilise the country by supporting rebels, mainly in sensitive border areas.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DAH142289.htm

[Pavulon]

1. Not surprising..

I would assume both countries are backing groups to kill each other by proxy at this point.

[leveymg]

5. I wouldn't assume that for a moment.

Iran has been very careful to avoid exactly this accusation since the bombings that destoye the US Embassy and Marine Headquarters in Beirut almost led to war with the US in 1983. It's never really been established exactly who carried out those bombings and what their precise motives were.

BTW: If the US were to be found to be actually backing terrorist groups inside Iran it would be a violation of the 1981 Algiers Accord by which the US vowed it would not try to overthrow the Islamic Republic and Iran released the Embassy hostages.

[Arctic Dave]

7. Officially? No. Unofficially? Yes.

The word "disavow" comes to mind.

[NM Independent]

2. Impossible

We couldn't possibly be sponsoring terrorism as a state, we're fighting the war against terrorism. If this were true we would be hypocrites.
:sarcasm:

[libodem]

4. Hypocrites?

US? No? You must be kidding?

[Danieljay]

3. I, for one, believe them. n/t

[Doctor_J]

6. They probably are Al Qaeda

Do you doubt that Cheney would throw in with Al Qaeda to start a war?