Iran attacks US over earthquake aid

IRAN yesterday accused US President George W Bush of using Washington’s aid to earthquake victims as a clumsy attempt to create divisions in Iran and meddle in its affairs.

In an unattributed commentary, state radio claimed Bush had "once again demonstrated that America's interfering and hostile policy against Iran has not altered at all".

Bush commented on Iran after the United States sent aid teams in to help in the recovery from the December 26 earthquake that flattened the ancient city of Bam, with a death toll expected to top 30,000.

Bush said he was glad the Iranians had accepted the US assistance rare cooperation between the two nations since their relations were broken by the seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979.

But Bush added: "The Iranian government must listen to the voices of those who long for freedom, must turn over al-Qaida that are in their custody and must abandon their nuclear weapons programme."

Iran has said its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful. It has acknowledged holding some people from terror network al-Qaida but calls that an internal matter.

"The Americans, by publicising their aid to Iran, have ineptly tried to implement their duplicitous policy of creating a rift between the Iranian nation and government," the radio said, adding that "our people's solidarity" will stop that from happening.

Iranian radio said recent remarks from top US officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, were aimed at concealing Washington's anti-Iran policies at a time when the world's attention is focused on the devastation from the quake.

Instead of sending "meagre aid" to help the quake victims, Washington should unfreeze billions of dollars of Iranian assets, the radio commentary said.

The United States is weighing the possibility of sending US Senator Elizabeth Dole to Iran as part of a mission to deliver earthquake relief assistance, a US administration official said.

If Dole, a former president of the American Red Cross, does make the trip, it would send a clear signal of American interest in providing assistance in connection with the tragedy as a prelude to a possible political opening to Tehran.

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said he saw no change in the 25-year US-Iranian estrangement unless Washington changed its tone and behaviour.

In Bam, workers have cleared away most of the bodies from the earthquake zone.

UN officials said they were launching an assessment of the humanitarian needs .

The United Nations plans to complete an assessment of the water, sanitation, food and shelter needs of Bam by the middle of next week to submit to international donors, said Ted Pearn, manager of the UN On-Site Operations Coordination Centre.