http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/5078.htm

      IRAN REFUSES TO HELP


 September 27, 2001 -- TEHRAN - Iran's supreme leader
 ruled out Iranian help for any U.S.-led attack on
 neighboring Afghanistan, saying yesterday that the United
 States was not "competent" to lead a global campaign, and
 calling American behavior "disgusting." 

 In a state-run television address to the nation, Ayatollah Ali
 Khamenei said the U.S. administration was
 "over-expectant" in wanting the whole world to help
 following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. 

 "Iran will not participate in any move under U.S.
 leadership. Iran will not extend any assistance to the U.S.
 and its allies in attacking the already suffering Muslim
 neighboring Afghanistan," Khamenei said. 

 America's behavior, by expecting help but not earning the
 respect of other nations, was "disgusting," Khamenei said,
 adding that Iran did not consider the United States
 "competent and sincere [enough] to lead any global
 campaign against terrorism." He did not elaborate. 

 Khamenei's remarks were the clearest made yet by Iran in
 response to suggestions that Washington may call on Iran
 to join a U.S.-led global force to fight terrorism. 

 Iran considers the United States its biggest enemy, but a
 strong reform movement in the government favors warming
 ties with the West. Washington has put Iran on a list of
 nations supporting terrorism. 

 During the past few days, Iran expressed its opposition to
 unilateral retaliatory U.S. military strikes against the
 Taliban, who harbor Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect
 in the terrorist atrocities. Iran has called for an international
 anti-terror coalition led by the United Nations - not
 Washington. 

 In his speech, Khamenei, the leader of anti-reform
 hard-liners, also rejected America's declaration to the
 world that nations had to choose between being "with us or
 terrorism." 

 "We are not with you," he said. "At the same time, we are
 not with terrorists." 

 The United States wants Mideast support - from use of
 military installations or airspace to intelligence - as it builds
 forces for an expected assault on bin Laden's operations in
 Afghanistan. 

 In another regional rebuff yesterday, Saudi Arabia said it
 won't let the United States use its bases to strike
 Afghanistan, saying Turkey and the former Soviet republics
 would better serve America. 

 Ghazi al-Gosaibi, the Saudi ambassador to Britain, said his
 country, the birthplace of Islam, could not be involved in
 any "carpet-bombing" of Muslims in Afghanistan. 

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