‘Aggressor’ label key to peace—lran
NZPA-Reuter Bahrain Iran’s main war spokesman said on the eve of a United Nations peace mission to Teheran that Iranians would demand that the world brands Iraq as the aggressor in the Gulf conflict before a ceasefire is agreed.
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said shortly before United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Javier Perez de Cuellar, was due to arrive that the “aggressor” label was the key to halting the war.
The Secretary-General said before leaving New York that he was hopeful about the prospects for his mission and that both countries would, observe a truce while he was in the Gulf area.
Only 24 hours before he was due in Teheran, Iraqi
jets struck into Iran for the second successive day while Iranian artillery shelled Iraqi communities near the border. Mr Rafsanjani said a July 20 United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire had some points which could be discussed, but he said naming Iraq as the aggressor in the old war was “the only key to solve the issue ... it is a positive point which must take place before a ceasefire is announced,” the Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported. Mr Rafsanjani said Iran had rejected previous United Nations resolutions as unfair and one-sided. He said of the latest resolution, however, “we saw some positive points ... 1 and announced readiness
to hold negotiations.” ’ IRNA also quoted Iran's V envoy in London as saying 1 bluntly that Teheran would only ■ discuss a V ceasefire if Iraq was 3 named the aggressor. /S “We say that the aggressor should be identi- /| fied. Once this is done; we J can start talking on other/S; issues,” it quoted him/asO saying in a radio inter;/ view with the British Broadcasting Corporation. Iraq said it would accept the order if Iran did. ,/ the same. j <> , The Arab League 'is seeking an end to hosttoties as part of the inter-. <•// ■ national peace while Arab diplonnhew sources in Moscow waid'''/ the Soviet Union pressing Iran to make the ViUnited Nations mission a success. ' Mts
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Press, 12 September 1987, Page 10
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342‘Aggressor’ label key to peace—lran Press, 12 September 1987, Page 10
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