thr 013                                                               


Attack-U.S.-Iran /POL/                                                


   Iran's FM urges "self-restraint" as U.S. prepares for military    


strike                                                                


Tehran, Sept 18, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on   


Tuesday called on the United States to exercise "self-restraint"      


and "prudence" as it prepares for a possible military attack against  


Afghanistan in retaliation for the devastating attacks on economic and


military nerve centers in the U.S.                                    


    "Dealing with the issue in a suitable manner will help more in    


finding a solution to the crisis whereas any hasty and improper       


reaction would make the conditions more complex and give rise to new  


problems," Kharrazi told his French counterpart Hubert Vedrine during 


a telephone conversation.                                             


    Kharrazi summarized any possible retaliatory attack against       


Afghanistan as "catastrophic" and a "massacre that would leave        


many innocent people homeless."                                       


   "Before any hasty reaction, world public opinion, especially that  


of the Muslims, should be taken into account," he said, adding that   


"international efforts and cooperation are fundamental to win the     


battle against terrorism."                                            


    Kharrazi also blasted Israel for taking advantage of the current  


situation to put Muslims in a bad light. He said, "The Islamic world  


has tasted the bitter phenomenon of terrorism and is strongly opposed 


to it."                                                               


    For his part, Vedrine said: "The terrorists have laid a major     


trap. It is necessary to be prudent in dealing with the issue."       


    Voicing concern that Israel would exploit the current situation   


to harm Muslims, he said "any action should have the endorsement of   


the international community."                                         


    Iranian leaders have strongly condemned the attacks in New York   


and Washington and have expressed sympathy for the victims of the     


catastrophe. But Tehran has also expressed concern over the backlash  


on Muslims, particularly in Europe, where many mosques have reportedly


been attacked or set on fire and the possibility of an overly hasty   


response from the United States.                                      


    The United States has sent an ultimatum to the Taliban rulers of  


Iran's eastern neighbor Afghanistan to hand over its chief suspect in 


the attacks, Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, and warned of       


disastrous consequences if they refused.                              


    A UNHCR spokesman in Pakistan on Monday said that tens of         


thousands of Afghans had already left major cities in Afghanistan and 


were heading towards the Iranian and Pakistani borders.               


    A new exodus of refugees could undermine recent efforts in Iran   


to repatriate more than two million Afghan refugees displaced as a    


result of a continuing civil war in their country.                    


    Iran has sealed its 900-km (560-mile) border with Afghanistan to  


stop another catasrophic influx of refugees in the event of a U.S.    


military strike on that country.                                      


AK/LS                                                                 


End                                                                   


::irna    11:08