Iran, Syria accused of supporting Iraqi rebels

Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi foreign minister, told the Sunday Telegraph that his government had gathered information from intelligence services showing support by some neighbouring countries to the insurgents.

Zebari did not name the foreign powers, but the Sunday Telegraph quoted "senior Iraqi officials" as indicating "that Iran and Syria were the worst offenders".

"Since we started to look at the security situation, we have seen how foreign governments have been helping terrorists," the newspaper quoted Zebari as saying.

"Why they are doing it we cannot say, but we know where the support is coming from. We have plans to put this before the public within days and it will have substantial impact," he told the newspaper.

Zebari, whose administration took power in the country early last week, said insurgents benefited from financial support, logistical help and training from "neighbouring government agencies", the Sunday Telegraph quoted Zebari as saying.

Baghdad also believed that up to 10,000 foreign spies and undercover agents had infiltrated the country since last year's war, the newspaper reported.

Zebari "even indicated that Iraq might not oppose attacks by American troops based in Iraq on neighbouring states if they were backing the insurgents," the Sunday Telegraph added.

He was quoted as warning that supporting terrorists "will backfire on those governments. A stable and peaceful Iraq is a better neighbour for them."

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and his visiting Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Sunday made a joint call for the rapid departure of foreign troops from Iraq.

"This crisis was predictable, and its source was the aggression and occupation of Iraq by the United States," Khatami told reporters after he greeted Assad, who arrived here earlier for a two-day visit.

"There is no ambiguity between us and Syria where Iraq is concerned. The solution is the quick end to the occupation, the installation of a government comprising all elements of the Iraqi people and the cooperation of the international community to bring stability and reconstruction," he said.

For his part, Assad said "Iraq is on the top of our list of preoccupations" although he said the two would also discuss "Palestine and the halt in the peace process".