Iran-Irak

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) publiserer også et intervju som en avhopper, Hamid Reza Zakiri, offiser i den iranske revolusjonsgarden, har gitt til en saudiarabisk avis i London, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
Zakiri forteller at Irans hemmelige tjenester opprettet kommersielle selskaper som inntil i fjor var innblandet i smugling av irakisk olje og andre varer, og i dag stadig samarbeider med Uday Hussein og irakisk etterretning:

«These companies have been cooperating with the Babil Company, headed by Qusay, Saddam’s son, since the mid-1990s. Along with smuggling Iraqi oil and marketing it, these Iranian companies smuggled Iraqi dates. The cooperation between the intelligence of the Guards and Iraq in smuggling and in trade stopped about a year ago. But the Guards intelligence still 2_kommentartains relations with Uday Saddam’s other son and with the Iraqi intelligence, and coordination between the parties on matters such as the siege on the Kurds and confronting the U.S. continues. For example, the Ansar Al-Islam organization in Iraqi Kurdistan won the support and protection of the Guards intelligence and of the intelligence apparatuses of the Iraqi regime.»

Hvem er Zakiri?

«In an attempt to verify Zakiri’s identity and statements, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat called Khamenei’s office, but an official there refused to discuss the matter, stating that it was an internal office matter. The official also accused Zakiri of «spying, conspiring against Islam and the Islamic Revolution, and collaborating with Zionism and world arrogance [i.e. the U.S.]» The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied that Zakiri was a member of the Iranian security apparatuses, and said that it knew nothing of the recent defection of any top Iranian security official.»