U.S. rejects Iran's offer to help offensive

NEW DEHLI Ñ The United States has rejected Iran's offer to aid the U.S.-led offensive against the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan. Teheran's offer came through Swiss channels to a senior U.S. official.

Iran condemned the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington but opposes the U.S.-led air strikes. But Iran also opposes the Taliban militia in Afghanistan.

U.S.Secretary of State Colin Powell, en route from India to Shaghai, said that Iran "would be willing to perform search and rescue missions" for U.S. troops deployed in ground operations in Afghanistan.

Powell said that Iran's offer of help was not neccessary amid similar offers by other countries that support the U.S. offensive against the Taliban. These include, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan.

"I don't think that will become necessary because I can't envision us needing it in that part of the theater, but that was an interesting statement on their part," Powell said.

Still, Iran's condemnation of the Sept. 11 attacks has encouraged the U.S. to open a dialogue with Teheran despite the fact that Iran is on the State Department list of states that support terrorism. Teheran and Washington severed diplomatic relations in the 1979 Islamic revolution but Washington has been seeking to begin a dialogue with Teheran for the past several years.

In an unrelated development, for the first time, Iran and India have held strategic cooperation talks. India's Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Mohsen Aminzadeh discussed security and defense issues. The two officials also discussed international disarmament and security cooperation and the situation in Afghansitan.

In April, India's Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Teheran.

Vajpayee agreed with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to set up a strategic dialogue. The first meeting was held on Tuesday.