Ahmadinejad warns Iran can help fill power gap in Iraq

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today boldly declared that Iran is ready to help fill an imminent power vacuum in Iraq, while also defending the neighbouring country’s embattled Shiite prime minister who has been criticised by US politicians.

“The political power of the occupiers is collapsing rapidly,” Ahmadinejad said at a press conference, referring to US troops in Iraq.

“Soon, we will see a huge power vacuum in the region. Of course, we are prepared to fill the gap, with the help of neighbours and regional friends like Saudi Arabia, and with the help of the Iraqi nation.”

Ahmadinejad did not elaborate how Iran would fill an eventual power gap in Iraq but his remarks reflected what may be perceived as Iran’s eagerness to have an increasing influence on its neighbour’s political scene.

His mentioning a Saudi role may have sought to allay regional fears that Ahmadinejad would want to dominate in Iraq. Even though Riyadh and Tehran have not co-operated in the past, it “doesn’t mean it can’t happen,” Ahmadinejad said.

Ahamdinejad’s showed strong support for Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, a Shiite ally and who has recently faced a spate of US criticism for his unsuccessful efforts to reconcile the country’s divided Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

Ahmadinejad accused the United States of interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs and said any US effort to topple Maliki’s government will fail.

Key US Democrats including Sen. Hillary Clinton have called for Maliki to be replaced because his Shiite-dominated government has been unable to forge national unity.

US President George Bush and the US ambassador in Iraq both have given blunt assessments of the political stagnation in Baghdad, and Bush has said it would be up to the Iraqi people to decide if their government deserved to be replaced.

“They rudely say (the Iraqi) prime minister and the constitution must change,” Ahmadinejad said of US critics.

“Who are you? Who has given you the right” to ask for such a change, he added, addressing American critics of Maliki.

For his part, Maliki has shrugged off the gloomy assessments, saying he would “pay no attention” to American critics and if necessary “find friends elsewhere.”

Ousting Maliki, a long-time Shiite political activist, would require a majority vote in the 275-member Iraqi parliament. And as long as the Kurdish parties and the main Shiite bloc stand beside Maliki, his opponents lack the votes for that.

During Maliki’s visit here earlier this month, Iranian leaders said that only a US pullout would bring peace to Iraq.

“Occupation is the root of all problems in Iraq,” Ahmadinejad said today. “It has become clear that occupiers are not able to resolve regional issues.”

Even as Ahmadinejad spoke, fighting between Shiite factions in southern Iraq raised new fears that a British troops pullout and waning US influence in the south could lead to chaos there that Iran may exploit.

Ahmadinejad also called on the Bush administration to provide an answer as to why have 600,000 Iraqis been killed so far. “Who will answer for this? What was achieved?”

Ahmadinejad dismissed the possibility of any US military action against Tehran, saying Washington has no plan and is not in a position to take such action.

US has accused Tehran of being behind attacks on US troops in Iraq – a claim Maliki’s government has only partially backed, saying Iran could have a role in the attacks. Iran has denied the charges.

On another issue of contention, the US and its allies fear Tehran is using its civilian nuclear programme as a cover to produce atomic weapons. Iran denies the charge, saying its program is solely geared toward generating electricity.

Ahmadinejad again rejected any possibility of Iran suspending its controversial uranium enrichment programme, saying it was “out of the question” and that the nation has achieved full proficiency in the nuclear fuel cycle.

“Today, Iran is a nuclear Iran,” Ahmadinejad said, while vowing Iran was committed to a “peaceful (nuclear) path.”

His comments followed an announcement yesterday by the UN nuclear watchdog which said Tehran has offering some cooperation in the agency’s probe of an alleged secret uranium processing project linked by US intelligence to a nuclear arms program.

The US criticised the deal with the watchdog, saying it won’t save Iran from a third set of UN Security Council sanctions for refusing to halt enrichment.

Ahmadinejad said the US president was a “wicked, selfish and arrogant” leader who has abused the UN Security Council in a push to stop Iran’s nuclear programme.

“You saw that your coercion ... was futile,” Ahmdinejad said, addressing his US counterpart. “You sold out your prestige and stood against a cultured nation ... I recommend that you don’t repeat this ugly behaviour.”