Addressing the worshippers gathered for the weekly congregational
prayers 21 May at the Tehran University campus, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said the United States has committed so many mistakes in Iraq and it is doing an about-face.

He said the United States is not honest when it supports mottos
on the human rights in other countries, Iraq included.
Rafsanjani said the United States erroneously thinks it can
achieve its aims and objectives by following up false policies in
Iraq.

He said supporting the Israeli regime is another mistake committed by the United States adding that the global arrogance considers Islam as a great enemy for itself.

He touched on the ‘911’ hijacking mid-air suicidal attacks on the US and said US president George W. Bush spoke of a new crusade soon after the events while the crusade resulted in the past to the defeat of the Westerners.

Opposition to Iran’s Islamic Revolution was also a blunder
committed by the United States, he said adding that Washington has gained nothing in opposing the Iranian revolution.

He commented on the achievements of the 1979 Islamic Revolution
and said the Islamic Revolution proved that even in the contemporary era, the community may still be run in accordance with religious principles.

He went on to say that Al-Qaeda and Taliban which have created so
many problems for the modern world have been created by the United States. Rafsanjani said the United States has paid a heavy cost for his mistakes in creating Taliban and Al-Qaeda while noting that it created them to encounter with the Iranian system.

Rafsanjani said the world public opinion is opposed to terrorism
and rejects it but the problem is that the US is not able to control
the tense situation in Iraq and the situation in that country has
grown increasingly worse.

He referred to various plots hatched by the US against Iraq and
said the Americans cannot acquit themselves of the crimes they have committed there and in particular in the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf which have been the scene of deadly blasts previously.

Stressing that Iran is the most oppressed victim of terrorism in
the world, he noted the United States, as a promoter of terrorism
and founder of the Taliban, cannot claim it is fighting against
terrorism and violation.

He condemned the move by the US military to enter the holy cities
of Karbala and Najaf despite the fact that the senior Islamic
jurisprudents have warned against the US military personnel in this
regard.

He blamed the Americans for the deadly incidents in Iraq’s holy
sites and said they are responsible for what had occurred in the day
of Ashura.

Iraq has been the scene of deadly blasts recently. More than 180 people were killed and many others injured in the Iraqi cities in a series of suicide bombings and explosions carried out by unknown terrorists as the Shiites were marking the day of Ashura (29 February), to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (a.s.), grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) almost 1400 years ago.

In Karbala, at least 112 pilgrims were killed and 235 wounded. In
Kazemain at least 70 people were killed and 321 wounded.

Rafsanjani voiced concerns and indignation on Washington’s steps
to draw up the political map of the Middle East and condemned the US for giving unilateral support to Israel.

He called on the Muslim World to give their genuine backing to the
innocent Palestinian people.

Rafsanjani said the Americans are mainly responsible for the
tragic situation in the region, including Palestine. (IRNA)