Iran supports Indonesia's stance on U.S. raids
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi supported Indonesia in urging a halt to the United States' strikes against Afghanistan during the fasting month, saying that continuing the attacks during the Muslim holy month would only increase support for Osama bin Laden.
Kharazi met his counterpart Hassan Wirayuda in Jakarta on Wednesday and discussed the issues of Afghanistan and illegal migrants.
"Ramadhan (the fasting month) is a holy month and the continuation of the strikes would ... be counter-productive," Kharazi told a press conference at the end of his one-day visit here.
"Those whom the U.S. says are behind the September 11 attacks would not only not be punished but would gain support from public opinion," he said.
The minister said that Indonesia's call for a halt to the bombings during Ramadhan was indeed the demand of the Islamic world.
He further said that Indonesia and Iran shared a similar view, namely that combating terrorism through air raids would only harm innocent people and not solve the problem.
Hassan, speaking to journalists after the meeting, said that the two countries shared a common concern over the Afghanistan issue, and repeated the appeal for the strikes to end in the run- up to the holy month.
The two ministers also held detailed discussions on the issue of illegal migrants as Iranian citizens were sometimes involved.
Kharazi described Iranian citizens who passed through Indonesia as economic migrants as they were only looking for a better life in foreign countries.
"We think that one solution would be to give an opportunity to people looking for jobs to spend time in other countries ... and then to return to Iran," he said.
Kharazi also met with several Indonesian officials, including People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, but failed to meet President Megawati Soekarnoputri due to the latter's tight schedule.
Kharazi, who had arrived from Malaysia, left for Japan on Wednesday evening.