Enemy146;s enemies

Despite a quarter-century of tension with Iran, the United States has reached out to the Islamic Republic for help in the post-war reconstru...

Despite a quarter-century of tension with Iran, the United States has reached out to the Islamic Republic for help in the post-war reconstruction of Iraq 8212; and is getting it, according to US and Iranian officials.

Iran is already offering to provide water, electricity and technical assistance to Iraq, a top Iranian diplomat said Friday.

8216;8216;We8217;ve seen some signs and heard from others that the Iranians want to talk,8217;8217; a senior State Department official said on Friday. 8216;8216;We8217;re sending some signals back.8217;8217; Although the two countries differ on many issues, the key steps in resuming talks are Iraq and Iranian cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog agency on inspections, amid US charges that it is secretly developing a weapon off its new energy programme. After months of allegations about Iran8217;s nuclear ambitions, the State Department sounded almost conciliatory this week about Tehran.

Iran is supportive of Iraq8217;s US-appointed Governing Council, and Washington, which severed ties with Iran in 1980, hopes Tehran will 8216;8216;step up to the plate big time8217;8217; in pledging reconstruction funds, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told a House Appropriations subcommittee last week. 8216;8216;On the question of Iran, as much trouble as we have on the nuclear question, we have a slightly different relationship with them on the question of Iraq. They have welcomed the Governing Council,8217;8217; Armitage told the panel. 8216;8216;They will participate in the donor conference,8217;8217; he said.

But deep divisions remain within the Bush administration about Iran policy. They were underscored when Pentagon officials met for the first time with the grandson of Iran8217;s revolutionary leader, late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who advocates US support for regime change in Iran. Ayatollah Hossein Khomeini is calling on the administration to mobilise opposition to the 8216;8216;ruthless dictatorship8217;8217; that his grandfather led to power when the Shah was ousted in 1979. 8212;LAT-WP