PRIME Minister Blair yesterday repeated allegations that Iran had a hand in the deaths of British troops in Iraq.
Speaking at a joint press conference after talks with puppet Iraqi president Jalal Talabani at Downing Street, Blair said UK troops will remain ‘as long as he wants them’.
Blair went on to repeat Wednesday’s claim by an unnamed ‘senior British official’ that Iran had supplied the know-how for explosives that were used to kill British troops in southern Iraq.
Blair said: ‘What is clear is that there have been new explosive devices used, not just against British troops but elsewhere in Iraq.
‘The particular nature of those devices lead us either to Iranian elements or to Hezbollah, because they are similar to the devices used by Hezbollah that is funded and supported by Iran.
‘However we cannot be sure of this at the present time.’
He added that also ‘there are certain pieces of information that lead us back to Iran, but I am not saying any more than that, we cannot be sure of this. . .’
One reporter put to Blair that ‘the Americans would like you to speak in a much more bellicose way about the Iranians, the same as they have’.
Blair insisted that ‘what people have got to know is that it has nothing to do with anyone else, it is to do with the British interest.
‘What Iran has got to know is that this is a UN-backed mission in Iraq now.
‘British troops, American troops, the multinational force are there with the support of the United Nations and the support of the first Iraqi government to come out of democratic elections.
‘Now that is the case and therefore there is no justification for any country, Iran or any other country in the region, interfering or encouraging terrorism against our forces there.’
He added that ‘the Iranians deny all this completely, as you know, I think they have been out denying it today. Obviously we will continue our investigation on it. But as I said to you, I don’t think it is harmful in a sense for this issue to be discussed now, but I have to say to you that I don’t think anybody knew it was going to be raised in this way.
‘Having said that, as I say, there is no particular harm in having the discussion.’
Following Blair, Talabani claimed: ‘To those who are calling for a pull-out of the troops from Iraq, I say we too want to see an end to the presence of the multinational force, but the actions of the terrorists are keeping them there.
‘An early pull-out would be a catastrophe for the people of Iraq and for the cause of democracy and it will be a win for terrorism.
‘We say we will set no timetable for the withdrawal of the troops, a timetable will only help the terrorists to think they can defeat us and impose their will on us and on you.’
Earlier Iran had rejected Wednesday’s allegation that Iranian Revolutionary Guards had supplied weapons and explosive materials technology used in attacks on British soldiers in Iraq.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said: ‘This is a lie.
‘If they have proof, they only have to provide it. But they have no proof.
‘The British are the cause of instability and crisis in Iraq, and they accuse others.’
Referring to the recent capture of undercover British SAS special forces in Arab civilian clothes, who were driving a car full of explosives and weapons near Basra, the Iranian spokesman concluded: ‘By drafting such scenarios they are trying to find a partner in their crimes.
‘Britain’s conspiracies have been revealed and its scandals in Iraq have made London make up this lie.’
Asefi insisted that Iraqi officials had acknowledged the ‘positive and constructive policies of Iran in Iraq’.
• Second News story
OVER 100 PICKETS OUT AT GATE GOURMET
WELL over one hundred Gate Gourmet pickets were on the hill at Heathrow airport yesterday between 7am and 5pm, determined to win their jobs back.
‘People keep saying to me it’s settled, nothing’s settled,’ Mr A. Singh told News Line.
‘My local shop keeper said it’s all finished, but nothing is finished.
‘We are still struggling here for our jobs back and our rights.
‘The union leaders said they are going to try to find jobs for some of the 144 people who are to be made compulsorily redundant.
‘That’s rubbish. BA and other companies are planning to sack people not take more people on.
‘We are not accepting compulsory redundancies.’
Shop steward Harvinder Singh said: ‘The deal between the union leaders and the company is not good.
‘Only four hundred are getting their jobs back and the others are being made redundant.
‘None of us knows who is on the list of 144 compulsory redundancies.
‘The union should not be breaking its policy of being against compulsory redundancies.
‘Principles are principles, they don’t change.’
Picket Gurdev Barespal said: ‘We all want our jobs back and we want them now.
‘We are sick and tired of being strung along by this company.
‘The union leaders should be helping us, not the bosses.
‘The union leaders are telling us we all have to sign this deal, including the ones who are being made compulsorily redundant.
‘That’s not right. The union has a policy of fighting against compulsory redundancies and it should not break its policy.
‘We’ve said all along that if Gate Gourmet gets away with what they’ve done here, then every company will try to do the same.’
Picket Chanan Rattu added: ‘No-one is going to force me to take compulsory redundancy – not the company, nor the union.
‘I was unfairly dismissed and so were we all.
‘We are fighting to win.’
