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Memorandum Signed Committing Iraq and Iran to Cooperate on Sensitive Intelligence-Sharing Matters, Counterterrorism, and Cross-Border Infiltration Of Qaeda Figures NEW YORK, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, Iraqs national-security advisor, went head-to-head with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Irans fiery Islamist president. One of Rubaies key messages to his fellow Shiite: stop stirring up trouble. Rubaie and other Iraqi officials chastised Iran for supporting Shiite militias and aggravating the insurgency, and asked for Tehrans help in other areas report Baghdad Bureau Chief Scott Johnson and Senior Editor Michael Hirsh in the November 28 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, November 21). (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051120/NYSU012 ) Rubaie returned home on Friday with what he regards as an important prize: a memorandum of understanding with Tehran that commits the two governments to cooperate on sensitive intelligence-sharing matters, counterterrorism and cross-border infiltration of Qaeda figures. Yet Rubaies bold diplomacy took even the powerful U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, by surprise. Khalilzad told Newsweek in a telephone interview that he found out about the agreement only afterward. The diplomatic confusion shows that Iraq remains in a shaky state of limbo, somewhere between independence and occupation. The Iraqis and Iranians signed the diplomatic memo after three days of all-night negotiations in which senior officials bickered over many topics. Among them: whether the Iraqis would agree to single out the controversial anti-Tehran group based in Iraq, the Mujahedin-e Khalq, in the wording of the memorandum (Rubaie refused); and whether Iran would acknowledge its role in supporting Hizbullah activities in Iraq. After an angry denial, Tehran did finally sign on to language that states "both countries should stop any support of groups, official or non-official, including proxies" that cause trouble. The Iranians "were adamant [at first]," says Rubaie. "They didnt want to sign." But the clause was so important to the Iraqis that one of their delegation stayed until 5 in the morning to ensure that the language was included in the final draft. Already many Iraqis are convinced that Iranian intelligence provides key support to Shiite militias. Some see Iranian hands in the torture chambers discovered last week beneath an Interior Ministry compound, which was run by Shiite officials allegedly linked to Tehran; Iraqi officials are all too aware of how deeply Iran has infiltrated Baghdad. Some assert that a special unit controlled by a man named Ahmed al-Mohandiss, with ties to Iran, abused the prisoners in the Interior Ministry facility. Last week, as the government was launching a promised investigation into alleged torture at the Jadriyah jail, three senior Iraqi officials told Newsweek that Mohandiss was now in Iran. "He is certainly one of the people who, if we find him, there are a few questions wed like him to answer," Rubaie says. (Read Newsweeks news releases at http://www.Newsweek.com. Click Pressroom at the bottom of the page.) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10118732/site/newsweek/