TEHRAN -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khameneion Saturday urged the Muslim countries to boycott the upcoming Mideast peace conference in the United States, accusing Washington of trying to save Israel and to hurt the Palestinians.
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Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen in Tehran in this Sept. 14, 2007 file photo. Khamenei urged Muslim countries on Saturday to boycott a US-sponsored international peace conference on Palestinian statehood next month. [Xinhua]
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"The United States made this meeting initiative in order to save the Zionist (Israel), all the meetings held under the name of peace so far have harmed the Palestinians," Khamenei told a large crowd, in a ceremony to mark the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
"Palestinians see this (conference) as an intrigue, other (Muslim countries) also should see this as an intrigue, if themselves (Palestinians) will not join the meeting, how can the others do so?" he added.
In July, US President George W. Bush proposed to hold an international conference this fall, which would bring together Israel, the Palestinians, the Middle East diplomatic Quartet, which includes the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States, and some Arab states to help resume the stalled Middle East peace talks.
Bush's administration has said it would invite its adversary Syria to attend the meeting, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assadhas stressed that his country would not go to this planned conference since it lacks the chances of success.
The other major Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have not made their decisions whether to attend the meeting or not.
