aiding the rebels all along.
Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi announced Sunday, “We were in touch with many of the rebel groups in Libya before the fall of Qadhdhafi and discreetly dispatched three or four food and medical shipments to Benghazi,” the rebel capital.
He did not explain why the Islamic Republic felt the need to be discreet.
Salehi made the announcement about aid for the rebels only after Qadhdhafi fell. It appears the Islamic Republic wanted to play both sides in this game. If Qadhdhafi had won, it would presumably not have announced the aid to the rebels.
The Libyan uprising erupted in January. Iran adopted a split policy. It denounced Qadhdhafi for his violence. It remained silent about the rebels. And it devoted most of its rhetoric against the NATO intervention, accusing the West of bombing civilians and trying to seize the country for its oil.
Meanwhile, in Tehran, the Libyan embassy last Thursday removed he Qadhdhafi flag and raised the rebel banner.