Iranian cleric criticises regional talks in Baghdad

TEHRAN, Mar 9 (Reuters) A senior Iranian cleric today hit out at plans to hold a regional meeting in Baghdad tomorrow, accusing foreign powers of trying to establish full US control of Iraq.

Analysts have said Iran's decision to attend tomorrow's meeting of Iraq's neighbours with US officials reflects a more conciliatory approach in its foreign policy and Tehran's hope it might ease tension in nuclear and other issues.

But they also say Iran remains wary US officials could use the gathering to berate Tehran for what Washington calls its meddling in Iraq. If so, this may strengthen the hand of radical voices in Iran.

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, a conservative cleric who heads the constitutional watchdog the Guardian Council, suggested the meeting was organised to compensate for failure to bring stability to Iraq after the US-led invasion four years ago.

''The name of it is (the conference) of Iraq's neighbouring countries but members of the UN Security Council are coming too. Arab countries from the Persian Gulf are also coming,'' he told Friday prayer worshippers in Tehran.

''What do they want to do? They want to take Iraq out of the hands of the Iraqi people and give Iraq's authority to an American institution so that it would completely be in the hands of Americans. This is what they do to make up for their failures in Iraq,'' he said.

The meeting in the Iraqi capital will provide a rare opportunity for officials from Washington and Tehran, which have not had diplomatic ties for more than a quarter of a century, to sit down at the same table.

The United States is leading a push for tougher sanctions against Iran after it ignored a Febrary 21 UN deadline to suspend sensitive atomic work, which Washington says is being used to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran says its plans are purely civilian and has shown no signs of reining in its nuclear work.

''As much as they tried to prevent (us) from obtaining nuclear energy, enrichment was not suspended,'' Jannati said.

''All people were mobilized to continue the work and reach the final goal which is to obtain peaceful nuclear energy.'' Iran's foreign minister criticised the UN nuclear watchdog for cutting technical aid and warned it could affect cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

IAEA governors yesterday approved the cuts to uphold UN sanctions implemented over concern that Iran may be trying to master the means to build atom bombs, which Tehran denies.

''Obviously such action can have an impact on bilateral cooperation between Iran, as a committed member of the agency, and the International Atomic Energy Agency,'' Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said. He was speaking yesterday, but the ISNA news agency carried his comments today.

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