Iran's ambassador to Baghdad has rejected U.S. accusations that Iran is seeking to interfere in upcoming elections in Iraq.
In
an interview with the French news agency, AFP, Saturday, Ambassador
Hasan Kazemi Qomi said the United States has never shown evidence to
support the claim.
In a report earlier this month, the U.S.
Defense Department said Iran may use Iraq's provincial elections to
exert its influence by supporting pro-Iranian candidates.
Iraqi
and U.S. officials are hoping the January 31 elections will bring about
greater security in the country, despite rising sectarian violence in
recent weeks.
In violence Saturday, at least three Iraqi
policemen were killed when a suicide car bomber drove into a police
checkpoint northwest of Baghdad.
Meantime, the top U.S. Marine
officer, James Conway, says the situation in Iraq is stable enough for
his forces there to be redeployed to Afghanistan, where insurgent
violence has increased.
U.S. President Barack Obama has called for a reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq, and the doubling of forces in Afghanistan.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
