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IRAN DENIES PLANS TO SEND TROOPS TO HELP SYRIA'S ASSAD
REUTERS/ Rami Bleible
11:55 18/06/2013
http://en.rian.ru/world/20130618/181727947/Iran-Denies-Plans-to-Send-Troops-to-Help-Syrias-Assad.html
TEHRAN, June 18 (RIA Novosti) - Iran has no plans to send troops to aid
Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in the ongoing civil war there,
an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, rejecting media
reports claiming Tehran was set to intervene directly in the fighting.
"We categorically deny this information," Seyed Abbas Araqchi said,
adding Tehran has never and would never send its troops to Damascus.
Syria's government forces have all the necessary means to fight against
"terrorists acting in Syria," and "Iran has no need to provide military
aid to Syria's authorities," he said.
The Independent on Sunday, citing "pro-Iranian sources," reported
on June 16 that Iran, Syria's strategic ally, has decided to send
4,000 troops to Syria. Iran "has proposed opening up a new 'Syrian'
front on the Golan Heights against Israel" to help prop up the Assad
regime, the paper said.
The decision to send a contingent of Iranian Revolutionary Guards to
Syria was taken before the June 14 presidential election which brought
reformist-backed cleric Hassan Rouhani to power, the report said.
Iran has traditionally been a strong supporter of Hezbollah, the
Lebanese Shia militia group which has previously fought with Israel and
has a power base in southern Lebanon adjacent to the border area with
Syria. Hezbollah has already intervened in the conflict in support of
Assad, according to the Syrian opposition and media reports. The US
and Israel have accused Tehran of supplying the group with weapons,
which it denies.
5 Obstacles to Peace in Syria >> The US said last week it had decided
to supply the Syrian rebel forces with unspecified military assistance
because it had "high confidence" that the Syrian government had used
chemical weapons in the conflict. That claim was supported by Britain,
but dismissed by Russia on Friday as "unconvincing."
REUTERS/ Rami Bleible
11:55 18/06/2013
http://en.rian.ru/world/20130618/181727947/Iran-Denies-Plans-to-Send-Troops-to-Help-Syrias-Assad.html
TEHRAN, June 18 (RIA Novosti) - Iran has no plans to send troops to aid
Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces in the ongoing civil war there,
an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, rejecting media
reports claiming Tehran was set to intervene directly in the fighting.
"We categorically deny this information," Seyed Abbas Araqchi said,
adding Tehran has never and would never send its troops to Damascus.
Syria's government forces have all the necessary means to fight against
"terrorists acting in Syria," and "Iran has no need to provide military
aid to Syria's authorities," he said.
The Independent on Sunday, citing "pro-Iranian sources," reported
on June 16 that Iran, Syria's strategic ally, has decided to send
4,000 troops to Syria. Iran "has proposed opening up a new 'Syrian'
front on the Golan Heights against Israel" to help prop up the Assad
regime, the paper said.
The decision to send a contingent of Iranian Revolutionary Guards to
Syria was taken before the June 14 presidential election which brought
reformist-backed cleric Hassan Rouhani to power, the report said.
Iran has traditionally been a strong supporter of Hezbollah, the
Lebanese Shia militia group which has previously fought with Israel and
has a power base in southern Lebanon adjacent to the border area with
Syria. Hezbollah has already intervened in the conflict in support of
Assad, according to the Syrian opposition and media reports. The US
and Israel have accused Tehran of supplying the group with weapons,
which it denies.
5 Obstacles to Peace in Syria >> The US said last week it had decided
to supply the Syrian rebel forces with unspecified military assistance
because it had "high confidence" that the Syrian government had used
chemical weapons in the conflict. That claim was supported by Britain,
but dismissed by Russia on Friday as "unconvincing."