Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Monday it appeared as if Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network may have been involved in the September 11 attacks on the United States.
"The question of who was behind the (September 11) attack, I'm sure must be supported by evidence; and there probably is some evidence out there, although we haven't received it ourselves, or seen it ourselves," Khatami said in an exclusive interview on CNN television.
"But it seems, from various developments, that the groups and individuals named may have perhaps been involved in it," Khatami, who is currently in New York to attend the 56th UN General Assembly, said.
"We have condemned extremism in any form, and we believe that terrorism in any form is also unacceptable," Khatami said.
Khatami's was the first-ever admission by Iranian authorities that bin Laden and al-Qaeda may have played a role in the terror strikes, which left thousands of people dead.
Iran was swift to condemn the anti-US terror attacks, but also objects to the US-led military strikes on Afghanistan for sheltering bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 strikes.
It has repeatedly requested "evidence" to justify the attacks on neighbouring Afghanistan.
It also insists that any international anti-terror campaign be led by the United Nations instead of Washington, with which ties were severed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Khatami said that "no doubt, there must have been some wrong policies" in the United States "that created a kind of hatred that became extreme.
"So I think it's necessary for the people of America to ask a more serious question ... What kind of anger was created that must have been expressed in that way," he asked.
"The people of America should demand, seriously, from their government to moderate its policies; to improve and change some of it. And if that happened, the situation in the world will also improve," the moderate cleric said.
But the 57-year-old cleric was also full of praise for the United States and its people, even expressing "regret" that the administration of President George W. Bush had not taken up any practical measures to improve ties between Tehran and Washington.
"In practice, regretfully, we haven't seen any serious steps taken to improve the situation, although in the last (US) administration, some positive things were done," Khatami said when asked about Tehran-Washington ties.
"Officially, the US administration said that it had made some mistakes towards Iran. It did not apologize officially, but it did at least clearly state that it had made mistakes.
"If that had been followed by some practical steps, it would have had some positive results. But unfortunately, accusations still continue, threats still continue," said Khatami.
"The people and nation of America are a great one, and no one can deny that. Science, technology, industry, progress and development come from the United States, to a large extent," Khatami said in rare words of praise for the United States.
"(But) although there have been some positive developments, we need practical steps," the Iranian head of state said -- AFP
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