QUOTE
NDON: Iran offered to stop aiding attacks on Western forces in Iraq if the West dropped opposition to its nuclear program, a top British official says.
Sir John Sawers, Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, told the BBC that Iranian officials had privately admitted their role in supporting insurgents' roadside bomb attacks on British and US troops.
But Britain rejected the proposed deal, floated in meetings at London hotels.
"The Iranians wanted to be able to strike a deal whereby they stopped killing our forces in Iraq in return for them being allowed to carry on with their nuclear program," Sir John said in a BBC TV documentary on Saturday.
He paraphrased the terms of the proposed deal as: "We stop killing you in Iraq, stop undermining the political process there, you allow us to carry on with our nuclear program without let or hindrance."
The proposal came in a series of meetings between Iranian and European officials, he said.
"There were various Iranians who would come to London and suggest we have tea in some hotel or other. They'd do the same in Paris, they'd do the same in Berlin, and then we'd compare notes among the three of us."
The news agency Mehr quoted an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hassan Ghashghavi, as saying in response that the country's authorities "have many times stressed that Iran has no role in attacks on American and British troops".
"The Islamic Republic of Iran from the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has played a role for the return of peace, stability and calm in these countries," he said. "It had regular dialogues and co-operation with international forces with regard to these issues."
The claim is one of several in the documentary about backroom talks between the West and Iran since 2001.
Quoting Iranian and US officials, the program also said Tehran co-operated closely with the US to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, even providing intelligence to help with bombing raids.
Inside Iraq the Government has reopened the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, promising decent conditions including a gym, computer chatroom and hair salon.
The Baghdad prison, which gained global notoriety in 2004 after US jailers filmed themselves tormenting and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners, was shut down two years ago for refurbishment when the US handed control of it to the new Iraqi government.
Agence France-Presse; Telegraph, London
Sir John Sawers, Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, told the BBC that Iranian officials had privately admitted their role in supporting insurgents' roadside bomb attacks on British and US troops.
But Britain rejected the proposed deal, floated in meetings at London hotels.
"The Iranians wanted to be able to strike a deal whereby they stopped killing our forces in Iraq in return for them being allowed to carry on with their nuclear program," Sir John said in a BBC TV documentary on Saturday.
He paraphrased the terms of the proposed deal as: "We stop killing you in Iraq, stop undermining the political process there, you allow us to carry on with our nuclear program without let or hindrance."
The proposal came in a series of meetings between Iranian and European officials, he said.
"There were various Iranians who would come to London and suggest we have tea in some hotel or other. They'd do the same in Paris, they'd do the same in Berlin, and then we'd compare notes among the three of us."
The news agency Mehr quoted an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hassan Ghashghavi, as saying in response that the country's authorities "have many times stressed that Iran has no role in attacks on American and British troops".
"The Islamic Republic of Iran from the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has played a role for the return of peace, stability and calm in these countries," he said. "It had regular dialogues and co-operation with international forces with regard to these issues."
The claim is one of several in the documentary about backroom talks between the West and Iran since 2001.
Quoting Iranian and US officials, the program also said Tehran co-operated closely with the US to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, even providing intelligence to help with bombing raids.
Inside Iraq the Government has reopened the infamous Abu Ghraib prison, promising decent conditions including a gym, computer chatroom and hair salon.
The Baghdad prison, which gained global notoriety in 2004 after US jailers filmed themselves tormenting and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners, was shut down two years ago for refurbishment when the US handed control of it to the new Iraqi government.
Agence France-Presse; Telegraph, London
