Broadcast 15 February on Iranian State Satellite TV (IRINN):

Announcer: While the Americans have tried with the presentation of some evidence to accuse Iran of interfering in Iraq, America's Joint Staff Chief General Peter Pace made the sensible declaration that there is no evidence of Iran's interference in Iraq's affairs. What is the real reason for these positions taken by other American officials?

For more than a month, meaning since 11 January when American forces kidnapped 5 Iranian diplomats in Irbil, Iraq, American officials have tried to design and implement a new phase in the psychological war against the Islamic Republic of Iran, have tried to pass the responsibility for their defeat in Iraq to other nations, including Iran.

In this area America's military and political officials in Iraq have tried to present what they think is evidence of Iranian intervention in Iraq by exhibiting weapons and munitions. Yet these measures by the American government have been seriously opposed within America by members of Congress.

Representatives of the American Congress have sharply criticized the positions of the American govvernment and have accused Bush, this nation's president, of taking steps for another adventure in the region.

The conflict between the American Congress and government has risen to the point that Bush has been obliged to reject any kind of decision to attack Iran and to declare in Congress that reports about this are propaganda from his opponents.

Yet at the height of efforts by American officials to build a case against Iran, General Peter Pace, the American military chief of staff, took a different approach and denied there is evidence of Iranian intervention in Iraq's affairs. The question is, what is the reason for the contradictory positions being taken by American officials about Iran?

Political Affairs Expert Sadatian: The opportunites that have arisen for the Democrats to make use of the disputes in the region in their own interest have prompted them to put greater pressure on the Republicans and Mr. Bush. For this reason due the greater attention that they are paying to Iran they are faced with greater limitations. The limitations the United States is facing are that it wants to get an international consensus against Iran, but in the present circumstances it cannot announce this.

It is on this account that on the one hand it takes a soft line with moderation but on the other hand we see that they have retained their hard-line positions. This is the reason for the conflicts we are seeing in America's positions toward Iran. On the one hand they are trying to adhere to their hard-line positions without the slightest deviation, and if they succeed in this they will take the next steps.

Announcer: What is clear is that the American government and president have understood the point that they are frustrated and decisively defeated in Iraq and they are now attempting to find a way out of the quagmire in Iraq by accusing other countries.

This situation has caused basic problems for American officials in their efforts to design scenarios for psychological warfare against other countries such as Iran. They presented evidence in this area that later proved to be unfounded.

Just a few days after the exhibition of the evidence for the American claims in Iraq it became clear that the mortar rounds on display were produced in Pakistan. Likewise the Austrian company that the Americans accused of sending weapons to Iran and Iraq announced that has not sent any weapons to Iran.

What is America's strategic problem in Iraq then, that has so frustrated and challenged American officials?

Political Affairs Expert Sadatian: In circumstances where he has lost the two houses of the US Congress, these pressures have weakened, but the overall policies the Americans are pursuing make the American presence in the Middle East region necessary and essential, and we see that in view of all their policy problems they are seeking to increase their forces. They have obtained the agreement of Congress and have requested a budget so that by September next year they will be able to add at least 20,000 more troops to their forces in Iraq.

Announcer: In any case, America's situation in Iraq is so complicated and critical that America's psyhological warfare tactics against other nations will not be able to same this country easily from the Iraq mess.

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It is interesting to me that this TV editorial makes no mention of the Qods force, which figured so prominently into the Bush press conference yesterday. The Los Angeles Times had a lot to say about that force today.