Iranian ministry criticizes Iraqi remarks

TEHRAN, April 27 (UPI) -- The contention by Iraq's national security adviser that Iran is backing Iraqi insurgents is not helpful, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman chided Sunday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie's recent accusations that Iran was supporting al-Qaida and other Shiite militias in Iraq were not conducive to building good relations between the two countries, KUNA reported.

"Those statements would be neither in the interest of the present situation in Iraq, nor would they serve the interest of Iraqi people," Hosseini said.

"I really regret to say that I have heard some positions taken by a number of our Iraqi brothers and friends which are not in line with bilateral relations. They are in contradiction with Iran's unsparing support for the people and government of Iraq."

Hosseini also said during his weekly press briefing that there was no validity to reports that members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were currently in Lebanon, the Kuwaiti news agency reported.