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Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
 (AP)
Iran to complete hospital that Israel started building in Mauritania
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel News, Iran, Mauritania

Just a few weeks after the Israeli ambassador to Mauritania was ordered to leave the country, with encouragement from Iran, the regime in Tehran is attempting to take control of a hospital for cancer research and treatment in the Mauritanian capital, which has symbolized relations between Jerusalem and Nouakchott.

Iran's Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, visited Mauritania on Wednesday, marking the first such visit since 1982. Although the visit lasted only six hours it included a stop at the hospital known by locals as "the Israeli hospital."

The hospital project has been stalled since Mauritania severed relations with Israel earlier this month. There are reports that Iran paid the Mauritania government about $10 million to kick out the Israeli ambassador.
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During his visit to the hospital, Mottaki promised that Iran will "replace" Israel and equip the hospital as needed. Mottaki praised the government of Mauritania for suspending relations with Israel, saying "Our enemies in the Middle East have reached the end of the road."

The hospital was initiated in 2000 by the Ministry of Health, which envisioned the establishment of an advanced center for cancer research and treatment in Mauritania. The project has gone through ups and downs and was stalled at various stages due to hesitation on the part of the Nouakchott government.

About nine months ago the project was kicked into high gear, following requests by the local government, and the pace of work was stepped up. An official inauguration ceremony was to have taken place within the next two months. Israel was to have sent over advanced medical equipment, including state-of-the-art X-ray machines, and a team of doctors was planning to travel to Mauritania to train local physicians in the treatment of cancer patients.

Several million shekels were spent on the project, which was funded partly by the Israeli government and partly by the American Jewish Committee.

"The aim was to build a medical center that would be a gift from the Jewish people to the Mauritanian people," a source involved with the project said. "What happened there with the Iranians is very regretful. There's no doubt that the Mauritanians acted out of spite."
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  1.   the Mauritanians will be the ones to suffer,Iranian technology 12:20  |  iran sux 29/03/09
  2.   What does Israel want from Mauritania ? 12:49  |  David James Vickery 29/03/09
  3.   CAN photoshop do cancer hospitals as well? 12:51  |  PETER SM 29/03/09
  4.   Send your aid and skills to countries that appreciate it. 13:01  |  Jo 29/03/09
  5.   IDI Amin was brought by petro dollars as well.$10 million? 13:16  |  PETER SM 29/03/09
  6.   # 3 petersm 13:19  |  Axel 29/03/09
  7.   "Send your aid and skills to countries that appreciate it." 13:20  |  Axel 29/03/09
  8.   DAOUD Israels Magen David Adom has aided globally 13:34  |  PETER SM 29/03/09
  9.   #4: damn right. the US should send $6billion/year to countries... 13:47  |  ramin 29/03/09
  10.   I wish them success 13:49  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 29/03/09
  11.   vickery 15:05  |  DMW 29/03/09
  12.   Foreign aid buy influence, with one huge glaring exception 15:28  |  Natallie Durson 29/03/09
  13.   From the Cancer Research Institute of Iran web site.... 15:44  |  AIG 29/03/09
  14.   Natallie Durson - Lets see how much free money went to Arabs.... 15:50  |  Ben 29/03/09
  15.   Wow, 10 million dollars! 16:25  |  Mongo 29/03/09
  16.   And the winner is 16:42  |  Sabra 29/03/09
  17.   what does this say about sanctions on iran when they have the 16:49  |  glenna 29/03/09
  18.   # 14 Ben 16:58  |  petra 29/03/09
  19.   A full embargo must be initiated against.... 17:10  |  Stephen. 29/03/09
  20.   The Arabs bribed African nations to sever ties with Israel 17:17  |  Conroy 29/03/09
  21.   IRAN IS A GREAT NATION, REMEMBER THAT! 17:53  |  indrajaya 29/03/09
  22.   #12 Natallie, with all due respect. 17:59  |  Stephen. 29/03/09
  23.   #17.Indrjaya from Jakarta. 18:09  |  Stephen. 29/03/09
  24.   Israel, not Iran, is to blame for breaking off the relations, ... 18:09  |  Pluto 29/03/09
  25.   Axel # 7 18:44  |  Marco 29/03/09
  26.   indrajaya #18 18:47  |  Marco 29/03/09
  27.   Ramin #9 18:59  |  Marco 29/03/09
  28.   # 21 Marco 19:05  |  Axel 29/03/09
  29.   Billions of Aid to Arabs have accomplished what? 19:08  |  De 29/03/09
  30.   To Axel (#6): Such a deal 19:09  |  Morris Valentine 29/03/09
  31.   Ramin #9, 19:10  |  Marco 29/03/09
  32.   #14 Ben. Billions to Arabs? You mean cheap oil? 19:22  |  Lou Medel 29/03/09
  33.   Pluto #20 19:24  |  Marco 29/03/09
  34.   # 22 marco 19:27  |  Axel 29/03/09
  35.   # 25 mv 19:34  |  Axel 29/03/09
  36.   Which lobby influences what? 20:20  |  R`faelMoshe 29/03/09
  37.   Axel #25 20:24  |  Marco 29/03/09
  38.   Axel #31 20:30  |  Marco 29/03/09
  39.   It`s all Bribery 22:10  |  Arik Silverman 29/03/09
  40.   David Vickery: Who does? You don`t. 22:39  |  Brad 29/03/09
  41.   Axel 22:44  |  Brad 29/03/09
  42.   # 41 brad 22:58  |  Axel 29/03/09
  43.   How about the American Jewish Committee fund the children whose 23:03  |  Jae 29/03/09
  44.   #32 Lou must jest 23:12  |  Miransky 29/03/09
  45.   Axel, Morris head is ruled by his heart--he hates germans 23:15  |  Labhras 29/03/09
  46.   # 30 mv 23:19  |  Axel 29/03/09
  47.   Induja`s Iran 23:21  |  ari 29/03/09
  48.   marco just ignore axel 23:26  |  zoe 29/03/09
  49.   Brad 41 23:27  |  ari 29/03/09
  50.   To Axel (#35): With experts like you ... who needs enemies? 23:35  |  Morris Valentine 29/03/09
  51.   Israel philanthropy 23:36  |  Observer 29/03/09
  52.   To Axel (#42): A `solution` to your question 23:40  |  Morris Valentine 29/03/09
  53.   Mauritania is the loser in this deal 00:01  |  Magna 30/03/09
  54.   #5 PeterSM. Idi Amin is said to have had good friends... 00:04  |  Maureen Ann 30/03/09
  55.   Israeli hospital 00:08  |  zkt83 30/03/09
  56.   Good Riddance, Mauritania! 00:13  |  massaraksh 30/03/09
  57.   Natalie Durson OWNED 00:27  |  Sabra 30/03/09
  58.   Indrajaya and irans great nation 00:30  |  Sabra 30/03/09
  59.   #41 Brad Surely you jest. 00:42  |  Lou Medel 30/03/09
  60.   American Jewish Committee 01:24  |  Bill 30/03/09
  61.   Indrajaya 01:28  |  Philip 30/03/09
  62.   Voila ! A new Iranian weapons storage facility is born. 01:43  |  flyingdoc57 30/03/09
  63.   Money Well Spent. 02:18  |  Cool B 30/03/09
  64.   Bribes 02:24  |  Muskens 30/03/09
  65.   Israel arms Zimbabwe 03:25  |  mystic 30/03/09
  66.   Thanks Axel 05:00  |  Chanson de Roland 30/03/09
  67.   You can stuff your generosity you know where! 05:32  |  Yahya 30/03/09
  68.   #12 - Know Nothing Natallie 05:40  |  MichaelF 30/03/09
  69.   Paying corrupted Mauritanians at the expense of Iranian people 05:55  |  kia from Iran 30/03/09
  70.   Mauritania 06:02  |  ks 30/03/09
  71.   cancer research 07:04  |  ThomasT 30/03/09
  72.   #2 What does Israel want from Mauretania? 07:33  |  Hilda 30/03/09
  73.   #12Natalie the chief antisemite aboard 07:40  |  Hilda 30/03/09
  74.   Who? What? Where? 07:50  |  Baruch Gold 30/03/09
  75.   Iran to complete hospital started by Israel 12:08  |  Inem 30/03/09
  76.   Iran to complete hospital started by Israel 12:08  |  Inem 30/03/09
  77.   10 MILLION BY IRAN TO EXPEL ISRAEL? ISRAEL CAN PAY 10 TRILLION 22:31  |  JACKAL 30/03/09
  78.   Maritania VS. the mullahs re KS 00:29  |  Persian Kitty 31/03/09
  79.   To Brad 00:37  |  Persian Kitty 31/03/09
  80.   To: "R`faelMoshe" 00:42  |  Persian Kitty 31/03/09
  81.   some hidden agenda?! 03:07  |  AL 31/03/09
  82.   David James Vickery 12:20  |  suburbia17 31/03/09
  83.   Here`s a sample of technologies from Israel 17:00  |  Raymond in DC 31/03/09
  84.   Let`s kick out Iran from Mauritania and everywhere else 18:17  |  Fortuna Benmayor 31/03/09
  85.   #77 jakal uh no it cant 06:21  |  Kyle 16/04/09
  86.   #29 the israeli figure is 07:17  |  Octavian 16/04/09
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