New York: Saudi Arabia has pressed the
UN for a resolution that "deplores" an alleged plot by Iran
to kill its ambassador in the US and calls upon Tehran to
cooperate with the investigation into the assassination
attempt.
Saudi Arabia tabled a draft resolution yesterday in the
193-member UN General Assembly, titled 'Terrorist attacks on
Internationally Protected Persons,' which expresses deep
concern over the October plot to assassinate the country's
ambassador in Washington, Adel al-Jubeir.
The resolution, which could be brought to vote on Friday,
"deplores" the assassination plot and calls upon Iran to
"comply with all of its obligations under international
law...and to cooperate with States seeking to bring to justice
all those who participated in the planning, sponsoring,
organisation and attempted execution of the plot."
It has been backed by the United States, with the
American envoy to the UN Susan Rice calling it a "measured and
focused response to the chilling Iran plot."
Responding to the draft, Iranian ambassador to the UN
Mohammad Khazaei has sent a letter to UN General Assembly
President and Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
The letter states that if the resolution, containing an
"unsubstantiated allegation," is brought before the General
Assembly then "the United Nations would run the risk of
turning into a venue for settling political scores through
introducing countless draft resolutions on contentious issues,
which should be seriously avoided."
The attitude of the US regarding the alleged plot, "which
began with an explosive media campaign against Iran, and its
long-standing hostile policies, is unconstructive and reveals
once again the latter's ill-intentions," Khazaei said.
Head of Iran's Human Rights Council Mohammad Javad
Larijani told reporters at the UN that the allegations against
Tehran are "laughable" and "the real plot is the American plot
to destabilise the region, to create fear from Iran and to
promote the military adventurism in the region."
US authorities had last month charged two Iranians with
conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the country and
participating in a plot, directed by elements of the Iranian
government, to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador.
Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old naturalised US citizen
holding both Iranian and US passports, and Gholam Shakuri, an
Iran-based member of the Qods Force, were charged in the plot,
which the country described as "fabricated and baseless" and
an "evil plot" by Washington.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, November 17, 2011, 13:34