Iranian president denies arming Iraqi militants

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied today that Iran is supplying sophisticated weapons to Iraqi militants and said peace would return to Iraq only when U.S. and other foreign forces leave.

''The US administration and (US President George W) Bush are used to accusing others,'' Ahmadinejad said in an interview with U.S.

television network ABC.

US-led forces in Baghdad yesterday showed off what US officials termed ''a growing body'' of evidence of Iranian weapons being used to kill their soldiers.

The officials showed journalists fragments of what they said were Iranian-manufactured weapons and said that those at the ''highest levels'' of Tehran's government were involved in arming Iraqi militants.

Ahmadinejad said the fact that U.S.-led forces in Iraq were ''showing some pieces of papers'' and calling them documents did not prove anything.

''There should be a court to prove the case and to verify the case,'' Ahmadinejad said, speaking through an interpreter.

The White House held fast to its insistence that some explosive devices in Iraq were of Iranian origin and said the way for the Iranians to stand for peace ''is to make sure that there are no shipments of weapons and no shipment also of support for those who are trying to kill Americans or destabilize the democracy in Iraq.'' White House spokesman Tony Snow avoided harsh rhetoric, however, saying, ''We think that if the president of Iran wants to put a stop to it, we wish him luck and hope he'll do it real soon.'' A senior US defense official said 170 coalition forces had been killed by Iranian-made roadside bombs, known as explosively formed penetrators, that had been smuggled into Iraq.

Pressed on the accusation of Iranian involvement, Ahmadinejad accused the United States of trying to hide its ''defeat'' in Iraq by pointing fingers at others.

He said peace and security would return to Iraq only when foreign forces leave.

''We shy away from any kind of conflict and any kind of bloodshed,'' he said. ''We are opposed to any kind of conflict and also the presence of foreign forces in Iraq and that's why we are opposed to the presence of Americans.

''We tell them 'leave the country,' and any other foreigners should leave the country and there should be no foreigner in Iraq and then you see that you have peace,'' Ahmadinejad said.

REUTERS KR KN2105