Iran honours returned war dead

Coffins bearing the remains of 570 Iranian servicemen who were captured by Iraq during the war between the two countries in the 1980s have been paraded through the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran.

The men died in Iraqi prisons and their return was part of an exchange on Sunday which saw the remains of nearly 1,200 Iraqi prisoners returned to Baghdad.

Having arrived across the Iraqi border on Sunday, the coffins were flown in from south-west Iran to the main airport in Tehran.

There, grieving relatives had a chance to pray over them, before the flag-draped coffins, stacked on flat-bed trucks, were taken on a long and emotional parade through the city.

They stopped frequently along the way as thousands of people lining the streets showered them with flowers.

Lingering effects

Bereft men and women, some of them screaming angry abuse against the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, ran alongside and tried to touch the coffins.

For them the return of the remains, after years of negotiations, at least brings some kind of conclusion.

But the residues of the war, which ended more than 14 years ago, linger on.

These were prisoners who died in captivity - but Iran insists that despite several exchanges of living POWs over the years, hundreds of Iranian servicemen are still being held in Iraq.

Baghdad says there are none.

Complex relations

This latest exchange reflects a desire by both sides to wrap up the human consequences of the conflict, but its political significance is limited.

The relationship between the two countries is extremely complex and works on different levels.

In some areas of practical neighbourly co-operation it has improved in recent years, but only a day before the coffins arrived in Tehran, for example, Baghdad announced that it had arrested several members of an Iranian-backed sabotage group.

Both sides continue to give refuge to one another's active dissident factions.

Reaching out

The overall relationship is dominated at present by the general perception that Iraq will soon be attacked by the US in an effort to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime.

For obvious reasons, Iraq is generally trying to reach out to its neighbours, while Iran - although opposing the American move - is trying to keep its distance.

Reports circulating this week, which were denied by Iranian officials, said that one of Saddam Hussein's sons travelled to Iran for secret talks, in which the Iranians turned down an Iraqi request to buy missiles.

The return of the servicemen's remains has also played in to Iran's domestic political contest.

Political spin

Right-wing newspapers used it as an occasion to urge Iranians to rally to the ideals and values of the Islamic revolution and those who gave their lives to defend it.

They said people should avoid getting embroiled in internal disputes which encouraged the country's foreign enemies.

"The martyrs were from all walks of life, which means the Islamic system enjoys comprehensive support," wrote the daily Jumouri Islami.

"The system should not be weakened by people getting involved in internal disputes... The hearts and voices of officials should be united in strengthening the Islamic Republic and safeguarding its values and ideals," it added.