Iran foreign minister meets leading cleric in Iraq

NAJAF, Iraq, May 27: Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki today met leading Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani during a visit to one of the country's holiest cities.

The meeting with Sistani, who has emerged as perhaps the most powerful man in Iraq after Saddam Hussein's downfall, in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf was likely to fuel Sunni Arab fears Iran was trying to gain influence in Iraq.

Mottaki, who had talks with Iraq's new Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad yesterday, earlier today visited another city revered by Shi'ite Muslims, Kerbala.

His trip to Iraq was the second such visit from Shi'ite Iran since US-led forces overthrew Saddam in 2003 and oversaw the election of an Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim leadership close to the Islamic Republic.

Saddam's once-dominant Sunni minority is suspicious of non-Arab Iran, its war adversary in the 1980s.

Its leaders accuse Tehran of fomenting unrest in Iraq to shackle US military power in the region and of coveting oil reserves in Iraq's Shi'ite south.

US and British officials accuse Iranian forces of providing bomb-making expertise and equipment to Iraqis.

In Baghdad yesterday, Mottaki ruled out for now proposed talks with the United States over the future of Iraq because of Washington's ''negative'' attitude.

Najaf, 160 km south of Baghdad, is home to the shrine of Imam Ali, founder of Shi'ite Islam.

REUTERS