Iran is dismissing attempts by Washington to link it to Moqtada al-Sadr, the young radical cleric whose militia has battled US forces in neighbouring Iraq. Iranian leaders, including President Mohammad Khatami and the influential former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, have called for calm in Iraq while blaming US mismanagement for the crisis. On Monday Hamid-Reza Assefi, the foreign ministry spokesman, dismissed a report that Mr Sadr would come to Tehran as a political refugee. US officials and administration ad visers have long alleged that Iran has secretly funded Mr Sadr’s militia. On Monday, General John Abizaid, commander of US Central Command, told a press briefing “there are indications from intelligence folks that there are some Iranian activities going on that are unhelpful”. Last week, Donald Rumsfeld, US secretary of defence, accused Iran of “meddling” in Iraq. Full Story
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