By IPS Correspondents
TEHRAN, Apr 14 2003 (IPS)

Iran said today it will arrest and prosecute any element of Iraq’s Baath regime, including its leaders, who possibly cross into the Iranian territory.

"If they want to come legally, we will naturally reject it, but if they come illegally, we will try them because of the crimes they have committed against our people," Foreign Ministry spokesman Amid-Reza Asefi said.

"One of our stances regarding Iraq is that the country’s future is left to the Iraqis to decide and outside countries leave that country," Asefi said.

However, "we are making our efforts that Iraq’s future does not harm the region," the spokesman added. "We are pursuing our own interests with regards to the Iraqi issue," Asefi concluded.

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