Osama Bin Laden Dead: Iran Says U.S. Should Now Leave Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran — The United States has no excuse to keep troops in the Middle East after killing al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, a senior Iranian official said Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the U.S. can no longer keep troops to the region under the pretext of fighting terrorism now that Osama bin Laden is dead. The al-Qaida leader was killed in a raid by elite U.S. forces in Pakistan.

"Excuse for alien countries to deploy troops in this region under the pretext of fighting terrorism has been eliminated," he said, according to the state news agency.

"This development clearly shows that there is no need for a major military deployment to counter one individual," he said. "We hope this development will end war, conflict, unrest and the death of innocent people, and help to establish peace and tranquility in the region."

Iran says it cooperated with the U.S. in fighting terrorism but instead of being rewarded, former President George W. Bush placed Iran in his "axis of evil."

Iran claims it has cracked down on al-Qaida operatives, especially along its border with Afghanistan.

Iran opposes U.S. policy in the region, especially the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, on Iran's eastern and western borders.

Iran is a Shiite Muslim-dominated state, while bin Laden's al-Qaida group preaches a hard-line interpretation of the Sunni sect of the Islamic faith. Iran has always considered al-Qaida a threat to its security.

Iran confirmed at one point that it had some 500 al-Qaida operatives, mostly Saudis, in its custody and they were handed over to their home countries.

Comments

[attl]

02:39 PM on 05/06/2011

If these comments were intended for american ears, there will be few listeners. If they are saying that they are uncomfortable with our troops so close to their borders, they given the political unrests within its borders, they should be. As for their own treatment or nontreatment of terrorism, it is no secret where they stand. Their best chance of moving us out of Afganistan and Iraq is helping us establish some kind of stable governments there. However, that would be a too straight forward thought process for their minds.

[Sunsprite]

09:55 PM on 05/05/2011

The Obama administration is lighting a lot of fires,so much for diplomacy.

[karim banned]

12:48 PM on 05/04/2011

I cannot go to Iran's news website from US. I think it is blocked by US. Nice to see that US has learned from ME dictators how to silence the opposing voices.

Check it by yourself, it is blocked as of 5/4/2011.

http://www.presstv.com/

[Hooshang Danesh]

04:15 PM on 05/04/2011

it isn't blocked--
the us doesn't block sites--its sort of illegal--

[karim banned]

11:36 PM on 05/04/2011

It was blocked yesterday, when they interviewed with Pakistani officials who claim Bin Laden were killed elsewhere and US has set up this to invade Pakistan.

'Bin Laden scenario prelude to new war'

http://presstv.com/detail/178272.html

[Dnietz]

08:05 PM on 05/04/2011

works just fine

[Hooshang Danesh]

10:39 AM on 05/04/2011

the "creeps" in iran--should leave iran alone--
not that us doesn't have its own share of the dis-paired,

[People Annoy Me]

02:23 AM on 05/04/2011

Our Nation Debt agrees. Leave now.

[thejackoroses]

07:54 PM on 05/03/2011

You people. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA Wonder what the other Call Ins to Art Bell are saying ? We are not in Afghanistan to kill binLaden. We're not 'picking' on a Country (which has lost 30,000 in their War On Terrorism). If he isn't DEAD, he will just make a Video and make Fools of the U.S. NOBODY said that killing binLaden would End the Terrorism or the War On Terrorism, in fact quite the opposite. You folks better learn how to Read something other than a Rag like The Huffington Post.

[jaslyn]

01:29 PM on 05/03/2011

yea, right Iran, Osama's dead, terror threat's over. I have some swampland in Florida you could have real cheap.

[Magic 62]

12:04 AM on 05/05/2011

So, invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq wasn't about getting Osama?

[EastTraveler]

01:24 PM on 05/03/2011

Why leave??? Ayman al-Zawahiri should be next!

[Genatomics]

01:20 PM on 05/03/2011

Who cares what they think?

[so so manly man]

12:14 PM on 05/03/2011

I know all, I am a HuffPost commentor. My opinion is undeniable fact in all cases.

[alimostofi]

11:43 AM on 05/03/2011

It surely is so embarrassing to see an Iranian reporter, who knows that the Ayatollahs' gang do not represent Iranians, report that this is "a senior Iranian official".

Mr Dareini should know better.

[so so manly man]

12:10 PM on 05/03/2011

Of course you're looking at this through the perspective of a dumb, ignornant westerner and really have no clue.

[alimostofi]

12:57 PM on 05/03/2011

Wrong.

[TeeSC]

07:08 PM on 05/05/2011

You are so incredibly clueless. 

[lewisfowler]

10:15 AM on 05/03/2011

Just because the founder of McDonald’s died several years ago doesn’t mean you won’t see a McDonald’s Hamburger Restaurant everywhere. Bin Laden and al-Qaida is a franchise success story. Sectarian states (virtual or sovereign) are evil, especially when they have, or have the potential to acquire, nuclear reactors and therefore nuclear waste (plutonium) to make at the very least, dirty bombs.

Al-Qaida certainly knows the value of asymmetric warfare, and if anybody has forgotten, just look at Ground Zero. Until a democratic state that allows for religious freedom (Arab Spring is the best candidate) arrives, a US presence of force in some manner is necessary in the region. Afghanistan-Pakistan is important only because Pakistan has nuclear.

[so so manly man]

12:11 PM on 05/03/2011

A MCDONALDS COMPARISON! gee you're so smart

[allperils]

08:22 AM on 05/03/2011

For once, I agree with the Iranians.

Leave these GDP alone!

[flemke]

07:46 AM on 05/03/2011

I can go along with this. Let's have all Americans leave all Arab countries and all Arabs leave the United States. Works for me.

[Magic 62]

08:57 AM on 05/03/2011

I wasn't aware that Arabs had a fleet and dozens of military bases in and around US.

[Taxim]

01:39 AM on 05/03/2011

Isn't this a moment where most Americans can agree with an official Iranian press release?