thr 030                                                               


Syria-Kharrazi-Terrorism /POL/                                        


  FM:Iran not to take part in U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition      


Damascus, Sept 29, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi     


here on Saturday said that although the Islamic Republic of Iran is   


against any terrorist act, and is ready to fight this phenomenon, the 


country will not participate in any anti-terrorism coalition or       


military action led by the United States.                             


    Upon arrival at Damascus airport, he told reporters that a        


collective international action is needed to eradicate terrorism. He  


added that an international consensus will only be reached within the 


framework of international cooperation and under the direction of the 


United Nations.                                                       


    Kharrazi further said that foreign ministers of the member states 


of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will hold an      


extraordinary session in order to review different ways to confront   


terrorism.                                                            


    All Islamic countries condemned all kinds of terrorist acts       


including the recent terrorist attacks in the U.S., he added.         


    On resistance movement of the Lebanese nation, the Iranian        


foreign minister stressed that all Islamic countries support the      


Intifada of the Muslim Palestinians.                                  


    Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara said that      


all Islamic countries including Syria share identical views           


regarding different ways to counter terrorism, particularly the       


organized terrorism under the leadership of Israel.                   


    All Islamic countries support the legitimate resistance movement  


of the Palestinian and Lebanese nations against the Zionist forces,   


he reiterated.                                                        


    Kharrazi, heading a high-ranking political delegation, arrived    


here on Saturday on the first leg of a regional tour that will also   


take him to Lebanon and Egypt.                                        


    During his stay in Syria, the Iranian foreign minister will       


review latest international and regional developments with President  


Bashar al-Assad.                                                      


    Kharrazi's tour is within the framework of Tehran's efforts to    


strengthen solidarity among Islamic states, particularly on the       


issue of terrorism, and support for the Intifada of the Palestinian   


people.                                                               


    Over the past few days Iran has expressed its opposition to any   


unilateral, retaliatory U.S. move against Afghanistan which has       


harbored Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept 11 terrorist  


attacks on New York and Washington.                                   


    Washington wants the Afghan-based Islamic militant Osama bin      


Laden "dead or alive" for what it sees as his guiding hand in the     


suicide hijack attacks on New York and Washington two weeks ago in    


which thousands were killed. Bin Laden has denied any role in the     


attacks.                                                              


    Washington has been considering strikes against Afghanistan,      


about 85 percent of which is controlled by the Taliban regime, whom   


it accuses of giving shelter to terror suspect Osama bin laden.       


FS/LS/RR                                                              


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::irna    15:06