US denies any link between Britons' release, Iranians in Iraq

WASHINGTON - The United States on Wednesday said there was no link between the sudden granting of consular access to five Iranians held in Iraq, and the release of 15 British naval personnel detained in Iran.
"There is no link whatsoever. Neither we nor the British nor anyone else, as far as I know, has made that link," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said when asked if there was a connection between the decision to allow Iranian representatives to see the five arrested by US forces in Iraq January 11 and the release of the Britons.
"It would be pure speculation on my part to try and ascribe motive to any of this stuff. I simply don't know and I don't think anyone does short of the Iranians," the spokesman added.
Five Iranians were arrested by US forces in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan on January 11.

04/04/2007 15:09 GMT