Iran-Iraq relations still on ice

The two countries fought a brutal war in the 1980s

		By Jim Muir BBC Tehran correspondent

Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri has ended a five-day visit to Iran that was regarded by some as reflecting a sudden thaw in relations between the two countries, which fought a gruelling eight-year war in the 1980s.

Both Iraq and Iran have been the subject of speculation that they might be on the list for American attention after Afghanistan.

Many observers seized on the minister's visit as a sign that they were huddling together for safety.

But in fact, the lengthy trip seems to have done little to advance relations.

Mr Sabri's visit to Iran - his first since he became Iraq's Foreign Minister last year- triggered a wave of speculation about a sudden rapprochement, since both countries feel threatened by the Americans at the moment.

But after Mr Sabri's departure, there no was sign of any real advance emerging from the visit. There was no joint communique, and no agreements were reached or announced.

The Iraqi minister was quoted as saying that Iraq had agreed to allow Iranian flights to carry pilgrims visiting Shia holy places in southern Iraq, despite an international air embargo imposed on Iraq.

No agreement

But no date was set, and officials later clarified that this was an Iraqi offer, not an agreement.

The conflict saw heavy casualties on both sides

There was no indication that progress had been made on key issues impeding normalisation between the two countries, such as the prisoners they still hold as a legacy of the war in the 1980s.

Mr Sabri's arrival was preceded by a limited exchange of prisoners last week which was intended to improve the climate for his visit.

We have to remember that satisfying the interests of Iraq will not have positive results for Iran

Mohammad Reza Tajik, aide to President Khatami

But it had the opposite effect. Iran didn't get back the prisoners it was expecting, and officials in Tehran are said to be furious.

Arab diplomats said the Iranians did not want to receive Mr Sabri at this time, but were persuaded to do so by their strategic allies, the Syrians.

The Iranian press carried articles arguing strongly against rapprochement with Baghdad at the moment, including some by senior policy advisers to the government.

"We have to remember that satisfying the interests of Iraq will not have positive results for Iran," wrote Mohammad Reza Tajik, head of the Strategic Studies Centre and a senior aide to President Mohammad Khatami, in the daily Seday-e-Edalat.

"The results will be more to the benefit of the Iraqis. This strategy will carry a high cost for us," he added.

No change in stance

Another official close to Mr Khatami said that if Washington was to make a move against Saddam Hussein, Tehran would behave the same way it did over Afghanistan - some mild token statements of disapproval, but no serious opposition.

The meeting ended in smiles - but no breakthrough

Mr Sabri met President Khatami and his Foreign and Intelligence ministers. General words were spoken about the need to bury the past and move forward to normal relations.

But nothing specific emerged, and the Iraqi visit was accorded little attention in the Iranian media.

Arabic newspapers published in Iran mentioned it in just a few lines.

Strong indications that Washington is considering action against Iraq once Afghanistan is settled had posed a policy dilemma for the Iranians, who feel they themselves could be next in line.

Should they move closer to Iraq in the hope of jointly deterring any such move, or should they keep their distance, to avoid contamination by association?

The signs are that they've decided on the latter course.