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Iran's Khatami in US: Washington's Foreign Policies Fuel Terrorism
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&ctl=13C7EB0:A6F02AD83191E1607C7A0CD4BD5545D19574F7DCC14957C0 Mr. Khatami tells
large gathering of American Muslims in Chicago that while US
government says it is fighting terrorism, its policies are 'arrogant'
and 'war-mongering'





Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami delivering the keynote
address at the Islamic Society of North America's 43rd annual
convention Saturday, Sept, 2, 2006 in Rosemont, IllFormer Iranian
President Mohammad Khatami, on a U.S. visit, says Washington's foreign
policies are fueling terrorism around the world.

Mr. Khatami told a large gathering of American Muslims in Chicago that
while the U.S. government says it is fighting terrorism, its policies
are "arrogant" and "war-mongering", and only create more terrorism and
violence.

The former Iranian leader made the comments Saturday at an annual
convention of the Islamic Society of North America.  Mr. Khatami urged
American Muslims to form lobbying groups to challenge what he called
the public's misguided perceptions of Islam.

Iran's president from 1997 to last year also says he was one of the
first world leaders to condemn the September 11th terrorist attacks on
the U.S.  Mr. Khatami says he knew the attacks would only intensify
extremism and undermine the concepts of justice and humanity.

In another speech earlier Saturday, Mr. Khatami called for a greater
dialogue and cooperation between world religions.

Mr. Khatami made the comments to Muslim community leaders at a mosque
in a Chicago suburb (Streamwood).  He also said that people of true
faith do not include extremists or terrorists who exploit the name of
religion.

Mr. Khatami is the most senior Iranian official to tour the United
States since 1979 when Iranian radicals seized the U.S. Embassy in
Tehran.

Mr. Khatami arrived in the United States Thursday for a two-week
visit, after the U.S. State Department granted him a visa.  Late this
week, he is due to give a speech at the National Cathedral in
Washington Thursday, and will attend a U.N. conference in New York
Friday. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.


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