Iran calls for “immediate” British withdrawal from Iraq

[sonz]

Iran’s Foreign Minister called for the “immediate withdrawal” of British forces from the Iraqi city of Basra, saying that their presence was “destabilizing” security in the region, BBC reported.

"We believe that the presence of the British forces in Basra has destabilized security in this city and has had some negative effects in the form of threats against southern Iran recently," Mottaki Manouchehr told reports on a visit to Lebanon.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran demands an immediate withdrawal of British forces from Basra," he added.

Mottaki also urged the new Iraqi government, to be formed after the inauguration of parliament later this month, to put “an immediate stop to the U.S. occupation.”

Britain's 8,000 soldiers are stationed in Basra, which is about 22 miles from the southern Iranian border.

The Iranian government have long accused UK forces in Iraq of fomenting ethnic unrest across the border in Iran’s mainly Arab south-eastern province of Khuzestan.

Mottaki’s comments were apparently prompted by the recent release of a video showing UK soldiers brutally beating unarmed Iraqi teenagers with batons in Basra.

Referring to the video, Mottaki said that British troops behaved in an "inhuman and immoral manner that constituted a flagrant violation of human rights" against Iraqi civilians.

The British government is facing mounting pressure over the brutal video. Correspondents say the images will damage relations between the Iraqi government and British forces in the war-torn country.

Iraqi officials also said that Basra residents will stage protests in the city on Saturday to protest the “heavy-handed” tactics by UK troops.

Responding to Mottaki’s remarks, British Prime Minister Tony Blair claimed that the withdrawal call was aimed at diverting attention from concerns over Iran's stability.

“There was no point trying to divert attention from the issues to do with Iran by calling into question the British presence in Iraq", he said.

Despite the decision by Basra’s provincial council to sever relations with the British army over the abuse video, Blair claimed that UK forces were in Iraq with support from the Iraqi government.

"The reason we remain there is the desire of the Iraqi people to have a democracy, to elect their own government and to have the same rights and liberties that we enjoy, whether in Germany - in Britain. Our job is to help them get that," he said.