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Iran and Iraq condemn attacks

Saddam Hussein told the West to reveal its evidence against Osama bin Laden
Saddam Hussein told the West to reveal its evidence against Osama bin Laden  


TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran and Iraq have both issued statements condemning the U.S. and British military strikes on Afghanistan.

Iran said the attack on its neighbor was "unacceptable" and would hurt innocent Afghan civilians, while Iraq accused the U.S. of breaking international law, saying "wisdom not force" was needed.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said the attacks "were carried out without regard to world public opinion and particularly the Islamic countries."

He added: "These attacks will result in loss of life among civilians, and, therefore, they are not acceptable."

Iran, while condemning the September 11 attacks in the U.S., has said any response should be led by the United Nations, not Washington.

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Tehran has ordered its armed forces to seal its 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Afghanistan to stop a possible flood of refugees joining about two million Afghans already in the country.

Iran's defense minister said last week Iranian forces would "confront" any U.S. aircraft that strayed into its airspace.

A statement from Iraq said: "What America did today is that it had targeted a country and people who are among the poorest in the world.

"Anybody would condemn this attack, not because it's coming from America or because it's against Muslims and a Muslim country -- but because it was done outside the framework of international law and because America didn't present a convincing proof against those it accuses of terrorism."

The statement added: "What is needed is wisdom, not force. If security is what is pursued, then we don't need revenge and to hurt people as a response to any acts that had hurt others.

"Peace and security can only be guaranteed when the aggressors stop their aggression and do justice to those who have been treated unfairly, especially the Palestinian people and the Iraqi people."





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