Iran Pledges $1 Billion in Aid to Iraq

Iran is looking to strengthen its ties to Iraq by announcing they have plans to give Iraq $1 billion in reconstruction relief aid credit. This report was made in advance of an international conference on stabilizing Iraq.

A senior Iranian official announced on Tuesday that Iran is willing to give Iraq substantial financial help to aid in reconstructing the damage done in the fight against terrorism. Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said a committee made up of experts from both Iran and Iraq were meeting to discuss aid for developmental projects that may include energy projects in Iraq. The official Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported that Larijani said Iran is ready to proceed with an economic aid package to help Iraq rebuild. Mr. Larijani's comments came two days before a planned meeting in Egypt that involves the United States, a few European countries and some Arab nations that include Iran. This meeting is being held to discuss ways of stabilizing Iraq and may also lead to the possibility of direct talks between Iran and the United States. However, Ali Larijani went on to blast the United States by accusing former US ambassadors to Iraq of meeting with terrorist. Mr. Larijani made these comments from the holy Shiite city of Najaf in Iraq. Mr. Larijani also said Iraq has information showing the United States is indeed holding talks with terrorist leaders. Larijani did not provide any details, but said that several months ago a US ambassador to Iraq met with some leaders of groups considered to have terrorist ties. The former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, did confirm US and Iraqi officials met with insurgent group representatives because they were trying to draw Sunni Iraqis away from al-Qaida. Ryan Crocker, current US ambassador to Iraq, issued a statement saying US officials will not talk with terrorists. Mr. Crocker seems to consider that there is a difference between al-Qaida in Iraq and Sunni insurgents opposed to the political process. Even though the US continues to accuse Iran of providing weapons and fighters to Shiite groups in Iraq, Iran continues to deny these allegations by saying that people may be crossing the Iraq-Iran border illegally. The Iran-US relationship is already tense and with Iran willing to extend monetary aid to Iraq, this has the possibility of putting additional strain on the relationship between these two countries who are trying to take control of the Middle East.