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TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's supreme leader told the visiting Syrian president Sunday that the United States may inflict immediate damage on the Middle East, but resistance from the region would result in the United States losing its superpower status. State-run Iran radio carried Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks, which came during a meeting with Syrian leader Bashar Assad, who made an unexpected visit to Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders on the U.S.-Iraq (news - web sites) crisis.
"The U.S. may be able to inflict damages to the region in the short term, but resistance of the regional nations will finally inflict the biggest blow to the U.S. and will culminate in the fall of America's superpower image," Khamenei was quoted as saying.
Khamenei, who wields ultimate control in Iran, accused Washington of wanting "to dominate oil resources through occupation of Iraq, something colonialists did in the 18th century."
Assad told Khamenei that America was doomed to fail if it invades Iraq.
"The Americans want to appoint a military governor in Iraq, but Iraqi people will resist American occupation. In the long term, the U.S. is doomed to fail," the radio quoted him as saying.
Assad also held talks with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites), a meeting that ended with both leaders stressing the Iraq crisis needed to be resolved peacefully, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. He later headed back to Syria.
Syria and Iran, close allies and neighbors of Iraq, oppose any war against Baghdad and have called for the continuation of U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq.
Assad and Khatami urged Washington to "respect the world's public opinion (that is) opposing war and replace the use of force with the language of logic," the agency reported.
The Syrian president was accompanied by Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa on his visit.
Iran and Syria also opposed any U.S. role in the future administration of Iraq if President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) is toppled.
"Democracy is not mandatory. The fate of Iraq must be decided by its own people through participation of all tribes and groups," IRNA quoted Assad and Khatami as saying.
Iran recently proposed a plan to avert war that called for U.N.-supervised elections and for the divided Iraqi opposition to reconcile with Saddam. The plan, similar to one aired earlier by the spiritual leader of the Lebanon-based Islamic militant group Hezbollah, has received little support.
Iran and Syria both support Hezbollah and are foes of Israel.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...&e=1&u=/ap/20030316/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_syria
"The U.S. may be able to inflict damages to the region in the short term, but resistance of the regional nations will finally inflict the biggest blow to the U.S. and will culminate in the fall of America's superpower image," Khamenei was quoted as saying.
Khamenei, who wields ultimate control in Iran, accused Washington of wanting "to dominate oil resources through occupation of Iraq, something colonialists did in the 18th century."
Assad told Khamenei that America was doomed to fail if it invades Iraq.
"The Americans want to appoint a military governor in Iraq, but Iraqi people will resist American occupation. In the long term, the U.S. is doomed to fail," the radio quoted him as saying.
Assad also held talks with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites), a meeting that ended with both leaders stressing the Iraq crisis needed to be resolved peacefully, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. He later headed back to Syria.
Syria and Iran, close allies and neighbors of Iraq, oppose any war against Baghdad and have called for the continuation of U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq.
Assad and Khatami urged Washington to "respect the world's public opinion (that is) opposing war and replace the use of force with the language of logic," the agency reported.
The Syrian president was accompanied by Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa on his visit.
Iran and Syria also opposed any U.S. role in the future administration of Iraq if President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) is toppled.
"Democracy is not mandatory. The fate of Iraq must be decided by its own people through participation of all tribes and groups," IRNA quoted Assad and Khatami as saying.
Iran recently proposed a plan to avert war that called for U.N.-supervised elections and for the divided Iraqi opposition to reconcile with Saddam. The plan, similar to one aired earlier by the spiritual leader of the Lebanon-based Islamic militant group Hezbollah, has received little support.
Iran and Syria both support Hezbollah and are foes of Israel.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...&e=1&u=/ap/20030316/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_syria
