Qatar Says US Attacks on Afghanistan "Unacceptable"

Qatar on Tuesday voiced its displeasure with the recent developments in Afghanistan and described the U.S.-led strikes on the war-ravaged Muslim country as "unacceptable", Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.

Visiting Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabir Al-Thani made the remarks to reporters after a closed-door meeting between Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

The Qatari minister stated that "the attacks against Afghanistan are unacceptable and we have condemned them. It is our clear position."

While expressing support to bring the "culprits of the September 11 attacks" (on the United States to justice, Sheikh Hamad said " the Afghan people should not be the victims of these attacks."

On the meeting between the two heads of state, Sheikh Hamad said that the two leaders did not discuss issues concerning the future Afghan government, though the visit of the Qatari delegation to Tehran was aimed to consult with the Iranian side on possible solutions to the Afghanistan crisis.

"It is only the Afghan people who are to be concerned about the future government in their country," he stressed.

The Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Tuesday morning for a one-day visit. They left here in the afternoon soon after the talks between the two heads of state.

Although no details about the talks were disclosed, the press here believed that in addition to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, the talks focused on the latest developments in occupied Palestinian territories.

Qatar currently heads the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The OIC has condemned the September 11 terror attacks, but did not declare any official position toward the U.S.- led strikes on Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Qatar on Sunday called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to put an end to "Israel's aggressions" against the Palestinians.

Since the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi last week by a radical Palestinian group, the Israeli army has re-occupied part of Palestinian-controlled cities in the West Bank, killing at least 25 Palestinians.

As a heavyweight member of the OIC, Iran strongly condemned both terror attacks on the United States and the ongoing U.S. strikes against Afghanistan.

Being antagonistic to Israel, Iran has backed the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation and suppression.






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