U.S. to Join Iran and Syria on Iraq Talks

[Frodo]

U.S. Set to Join Iran and Syria in Talks on Iraq

By HELENE COOPER and KIRK SEMPLE
Published: February 28, 2007

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 — American officials said Tuesday that they had agreed to hold the highest-level contact with the Iranian authorities in more than two years as part of an international meeting on Iraq.

The discussions, scheduled for the next two months, are expected to include Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Iranian and Syrian counterparts.

The announcement, first made in Baghdad and confirmed by Ms. Rice, that the United States would take part in two sets of meetings among Iraq and its neighbors, including Syria and Iran, is a shift in President Bush’s avoidance of high-level contacts with the governments in Damascus and, especially, Tehran.

Critics of the administration have long said that it should do more to engage its regional rivals on a host of issues, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Lebanon. That was the position of the Iraq Study Group, the high level commission that last year urged direct, unconditional talks that would include Iran and Syria.

While the newly scheduled meetings may not include direct negotiations between the United States and Iran, and are to focus strictly on stabilizing Iraq rather than other disputes, they could crack open a door to a diplomatic channel.

[JSojourner]

I am hopeful.  And the President and all involved are in my prayers.  I really hope they are serious about this.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I am hopeful.  And the President and all involved are in my prayers.  I really hope they are serious about this.

Dude, Bush is President. Expect the worst, and then be prepared to get worse than you were expecting.

[MODU]

Has China and Russia signed on to the talks yet?

[JSojourner]

I am hopeful.  And the President and all involved are in my prayers.  I really hope they are serious about this.

Dude, Bush is President. Expect the worst, and then be prepared to get worse than you were expecting.

<sigh>  I know.  It has happened every single time, on issues foreign and domestic. 

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

So, NKorea gets to keep its nukes, and Iran gets to continue building theirs....Looks like Jesus is coming sooner than I thought.  Time to trim my lamp.

[JSojourner]

So, NKorea gets to keep its nukes, and Iran gets to continue building theirs....Looks like Jesus is coming sooner than I thought.  Time to trim my lamp.

And we get to keep ours, too.  Hell, I don't blame them for wanting nukes.  All their enemies have them.  We wanted nukes because our enemies had them (USSR and China).  If the Soviets and Chinese had warheads pointed at our cities, we figured we should have some pointed at theirs.

The Iranians and North Koreans know we have nukes pointed at their cities.  (Or we can certainly deliver them there in no time flat.)  And the Israelis can deliver an atomic bomb to Tehran.  I suppose I'd want nukes too.

On and on the madness goes.

You have one thing right though.  The Prince of Peace will return one day. 

Maranatha!

[Silent Hunter]

Actually American nukes aren't really pointed at cities, but I'll let that one slide...

Let's hope these talks work. But Syria and Iran should be cracking down on these insurgent groups anyway.

[MODU]

Nations expected to join the talks:  Iraq, Iran, Syria, US, China, Russia, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordon, Canada, Japan and Italy.

If they all attend, that should be very interesting to see.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Nations expected to join the talks:  Iraq, Iran, Syria, US, China, Russia, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordon, Canada, Japan and Italy.

If they all attend, that should be very interesting to see.

Any bets on which countries' envoys will come out of these talks alive?

[MODU]

Nations expected to join the talks:  Iraq, Iran, Syria, US, China, Russia, UK, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordon, Canada, Japan and Italy.

If they all attend, that should be very interesting to see.

Any bets on which countries' envoys will come out of these talks alive?

hahaha . . . I had thought about that. 

[Silent Hunter]

The talks won't actually be in Iraq, BTW.