Speaking on Al-Arabia satellite TV channel, Shaalan stated, The Iraqi people will soon see footage of the confessions of one of the perpetrators who has information about the meddling of these two countries in Iraq.
As an apparent reference to the accusations that Shaalan was harsher towards its neighbours than other Iraqi ministers, he said, I have no personal animosity towards Iran, or Syria, or any other country and I when I make comments, I make them as the Defence Minister of Iraq, and I say if these countries act as the enemies of the Iraqi people, I will be their enemy.
Shaalan had said previously, Iran is the most dangerous enemy of Iraq and all Arab nations. He recently stood by his remarks in an interview with the Saudi daily Al-Watan. In that interview the defence chief said that Iraq would soon air foreign satellite footage of 50 suicide vehicles entering the country from Iran, before Iraq’s upcoming elections, as soon as Iraqs interim-Prime Minster, Ayad Allawi, gave the final approval.
At present terrorists in Iraq are coordinated, funded, and trained by Iranian intelligence, he added.
Over the past year, a string of Iraqi officials, including Iraqs interim-Prime Minister and the interim-Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar, have accused Iran of meddling in Iraq. In a December 7 interview with the Washington Post, Yawar accused Iran of pouring huge amounts of money into fundamentalist Shiite parties hoping to create an Iraqi Islamic Republic.
