Press TV, Iran
Aug 11 2008

Iran: US behind extremism in ME
Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:07:42 GMT

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says the emergence of
extremism is the brainchild of the US policies in the Middle East.

`Today, extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan has turned into an
irresolvable dilemma even for those who helped develop the ideology,’
said Manouchehr Mottaki in a meeting with Hedayat Oroujev, the
Chairman of the State Religious Affairs of Azerbaijan.

Mottaki expressed Tehran’s readiness to help settle Baku-Yerevan
differences.

`Iran’s foreign policy is based on peaceful coexistence and Tehran is
prepared to act as a mediator to resolve disputes between Azerbaijan
and Armenia,’ said Mottaki.

Oroujev, for his part, said the activities of hardliners incur damages
to Islam adding that the aliens fan extremism both openly and in
covert operations.

Azerbaijan and Armenia went at loggerheads over the strategic
Nagorno-Karabakh region. The disputes between the two states broke out
in 1988, when the Armenian majority in Nagorno-Karabakh appealed to
Moscow to help them join Armenia, but in 1991 rejected unification
with Armenia and proclaimed total independence in 1992.

MRD/DT