Iranian Leader Says U.S. Threatening Global Peace

(TEHRAN, Iran) - The U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan are ``dragging the world into a war,'' Iran's supreme leader said Monday. <br><br>Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by state-run Tehran

Monday, October 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(TEHRAN, Iran) - The U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan are ``dragging the world into a war,'' Iran's supreme leader said Monday.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by state-run Tehran radio as saying that while the United States and its allies were calling for peace, they were endangering stability with their attacks on Taliban targets in Afghanistan.

``Peace is threatened in this region and with high probability, global peace is threatened, thanks to the performance and policies of the authorities and statesmen of major powers, and (of) America in particular,'' Khamenei said. ``They are dragging the world into a war.''

The United States is driven by arms manufacturers, imperialism and the ``ignorance, arrogance and indifference'' of major powers, Khamenei said.

``America's logic for military attack on Afghanistan is very weak,'' he said. ``This logic did not convince anyone ... not even the statesmen who support America.''

Iran has condemned both the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the U.S. military strikes to punish the prime suspect Osama bin Laden and the ruling Taliban who harbor him.

Iran has said any campaign against terrorism should be led by the United Nations.

Last week, Khamenei accused the United States of being bent on domination and expansionism. Iran has long opposed Afghanistan's Taliban leadership.