U.S. & Iran Hold Rare Direct Talks on Iraq

**bahador_romeo** · 10-03-07, 14:14

U.S. and Iran hold rare direct talks

The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki gestures prior to opening the groundbreaking peace conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 10, 2007. Al-Maliki appealed Saturday for international help to cut off networks aiding extremists and warned envoys from neighbors and world powers that Iraq's growing sectarian bloodshed could spill across the Middle East.

U.S. and Iranian envoys exchanged direct talks Saturday on efforts to end Iraq's violence and bolster its government, opening limited but potentially significant contacts that could ease their nearly 28-year diplomatic freeze.

The discussions were confined to one session during a conference on Iraq stability, but they appeared to offer room for further interaction between the two nations — which find themselves increasingly drawn toward common issues in Iraq as the nation's most influential allies.

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said he exchanged views with Iranian delegates "directly and in the presence of others" at the gathering led by Iraq's neighbors and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

He declined to give details of the contacts — calling them only "constructive and businesslike and problem-solving" — but noted that he raised U.S. assertions that Shiite militias receive weapons and assistance across the border from Iran.

The chief Iranian envoy, Abbas Araghchi, said he restated his country's demands for a clear timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces, which he insisted have made Iraq a magnet for extremists from across the Muslim world.

"Violence in Iraq is good for no country in the region," said Araghchi, deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, at a post-meeting news conference.

Araghchi said he did not meet privately with Khalilzad, but that all dialogue "was within the framework of the meeting" — which he said had "very good interaction by all the delegations."

Khalilzad, too, called it a "first step."

"The discussions were limited and focused on Iraq and I don't want to speculate after that," he said.

For Iran, opening more direct contacts with Washington could help promote their shared interests in Iraq, including trying to stamp out Sunni-led insurgents. U.S. officials, meanwhile, need the support of Iranian-allied political groups in Iraq to help contain Shiite militias.

The United States broke off ties with Iran after militants occupied the American Embassy in Tehran in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, told reporters there were "direct exchanges and meetings and discussions" between the U.S. and Iranian delegation.

He also said the participants at the meeting agreed to take part in future groups to study ways to bolster Iraq's security, assist displaced people and improve fuel distribution and sales in one of OPEC's former heavyweights.

Zebari did not say whether Iran and the United States could join in these smaller "tactical committees."

But Araghchi, the Iranian envoy, insisted that the working groups should include only Iraq's neighbors and could consult with "countries who are players in the region" — an apparent reference to the United States.

Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, opened the meeting with an appeal for international help to sever networks aiding extremists and warned that Iraq's growing sectarian bloodshed could spill across the Middle East.

Khalilzad also urged nations bordering Iraq — which include Syria and Iran — to expand assistance to al-Maliki's government, saying "the future of Iraq and the Middle East is the defining issue of our time."

"(Iraq) needs support in this battle that not only threatens Iraq but will spill over to all countries in the region," al-Maliki said — shortly before mortar shells landed near the conference site and a car bomb exploded in a Shiite stronghold across the city.

Al-Maliki urged for help in stopping financial support, weapon pipelines and "religious cover" for the relentless attacks of car bombings, killings and other attacks that have pitted Iraq's Sunnis against majority Shiites.

The delegates proposed an "expanded" follow-up meeting, which could include the G-8 nations and others, in Istanbul, Turkey, next month. Iraqi officials, however, say they want the next meeting to take place in Baghdad.

The meeting also gives a forum to air a wide range of views and concerns including U.S. accusations of weapons smuggling from Iran and Syria, and Arab demands for greater political power for Iraq's Sunnis.

Al-Maliki said "the terrorism that kills innocents" in Iraq comes from the same root as terrorists attacks around the world since Sept. 11, 2001, in a reference to groups inspired by al-Qaida.

He also delivered an apparent warning to Syria and Iran to stay away from using Iraq as a proxy battleground for fights against the United States.

"Iraq does not accept that its territories and cities become a field where regional and international disputes are settled," he said.

Khalilzad did not specifically mention Iran in statements to delegates, but he offered indirect messages that the United States acknowledges the country's growing influence in the region.

"The U.S. seeks an Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors; and neighbors that are at peace with Iraq," he said, according to a text distributed by the U.S. Embassy.

But he also reasserted U.S. claims that Syria allows foreign jihadists and Sunni insurgents to cross its border into Iraq, and that weapon shipments from Iran reach Shiite militias. Both nations deny the allegations.

Iran has strongly denounced the U.S. military presence even though it toppled their old foe Saddam Hussein. The complaints grew more pointed in December after American forces detained two Iranian security agents at the compound of a major Shiite political bloc in Baghdad

Six other Iranians were arrested Jan. 11 at an Iranian liaison office in northern Iraq. The U.S. military said they were members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard — a charge Tehran rejects.

Khalilzad appeared to address Iran's complaints by saying U.S.-led troops do not "have anyone in detention who is a diplomat."

The Iranian envoy Araghchi complained the officials were "kidnapped" by U.S. forces and were members of the diplomatic staff.

The showdown over Iran's nuclear program also lurks behind any attempt to open a diplomatic dialogue. There have been other chances in the past for one-on-one dialogue between the United States and Iran, but rarely with such promise.

In September, the United States joined Iran and Syria in talks on Iraq — although Washington ruled out direct talks with Iran in advance.

"All the delegates are united by one thing: the fear of a prolonged civil war in Iraq. It would hurt them each in different ways," said Abdel-Moneim Said, director of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "Fear is the one thing bringing them all together."

naranj · 10-03-07, 14:23

bahdor jan mamnoon az khabar

omid varam k ravabet khob shavad .

**MehdiBaTo** · 10-03-07, 14:44

In mozaakere Irano amrika bekhatere masayeke Iraq alan chand saale gharare anjam beshe amma lahazate akhar be ham khorde va ya agar ham anjam shode shekast khorde [che poshte parde ya che alani]; in ghaziye ham ertebati beine ashtiye Irano Amrika va ya bar sare mozaakerate hasteyee nadare va faghat bar sare khoshoonathaye Iraqe; in mozaakerat ham jeddi nist va hamash dar hade harfo zayeefe [gheire mostaghim] va hamishe ham agar boode shekast khorde.[dar hade maghamaate aali rotbe nist; Diplomacy payeen rotbas]

jomhooriye eslami be hich vajh nemitoone ba Amrika ya Israel ashti kone ya ravabetesho khoob kone; agar in kaaro bokone jomhooriye eslamiyei dige vojood nakhahad dasht.

mooferyjoon · 10-03-07, 15:34

be aghidehe man inha nabayad ba in mollaha mozakereh konand.

[NL]Mahdavikia · 10-03-07, 16:05

akhond jamaat = DOROOGH
az on resiseshon olagh khoemini begir ta be pahin..

in mozakerat ham hamash mikhand beshinand cherto pert begand, dige nemidonand chopane dorogo shodand

sheitooonak · 10-03-07, 16:25

Vaghty ke Aghayii be esme Makareme Shirazi marja e taghlid ke namayandegiye jaii ro behsh dadan dar keshvar omade ghanooniro gzaoshte : mardhaii ke vase toolani modat az zan o bachashoon dooran va dar rahe enghelabe eslami mikooshan ejazast ezdevaje movaghat konan......

akhe in akhunda fekreshoon kojast ,,sorry ke migam vali chera enghadr fekre tane be paiineshoonan ,, tarze fekreshoon vaghty in bashe dige entezary nabayd azashoon dasht

saeed121 · 10-03-07, 18:16

Quote:

Originally posted by MehdiBaTo
jomhooriye eslami be hich vajh nemitoone ba Amrika ya Israel ashti kone ya ravabetesho khoob kone; agar in kaaro bokone jomhooriye eslamiyei dige vojood nakhahad dasht.

daghighan mehdi jan

3 rokne asasie jomhoorie eslami:

1. doshmani ba amrika & israel
2. hejabe ejbari
3. ghadeghan boodane mashroob

KM3 · 10-03-07, 18:48

Quote:

Original von sheitooonak
Vaghty ke Aghayii be esme Makareme Shirazi marja e taghlid ke namayandegiye jaii ro behsh dadan dar keshvar omade ghanooniro gzaoshte : mardhaii ke vase toolani modat az zan o bachashoon dooran va dar rahe enghelabe eslami mikooshan ejazast ezdevaje movaghat konan......

akhe in akhunda fekreshoon kojast ,,sorry ke migam vali chera enghadr fekre tane be paiineshoonan ,, tarze fekreshoon vaghty in bashe dige entezary nabayd azashoon dasht

Marda Kare Khodeshoono Mikonand, Che Makareme Shirazi EJaze Bede, Che Nade

**bahador_romeo** · 10-03-07, 22:56

U.S., Iran trade barbs in direct talks

Delegates attend the opening of the groundbreaking peace conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 10, 2007. The Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appealed Saturday for international help to cut off networks aiding extremists and warned envoys from neighbors and world powers that Iraq's growing sectarian bloodshed could spill across the Middle East.

AP-- In their first direct talks since the Iraq war began, U.S. and Iranian envoys traded harsh words and blamed each other for the country's crisis Saturday at a one-day international conference that some hoped would help end their 27-year diplomatic freeze.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki opened the conference with an appeal for all participants to help ease his country's plight and prevent the violent conflict here from spilling over into the entire Middle East.

But the conference underscored the wide gulf between American and Iranian views over the nature of the crisis and the ways to end it.

During the talks, U.S. envoy David Satterfield pointed to his briefcase which he said contained documents proving Iran was arming Shiite Muslim militias in Iraq.

"Your accusations are merely a cover for your failures in Iraq," Iran's chief envoy Abbas Araghchi shot back, according to an official familiar to the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, only said that American delegates exchanged views with the Iranians "directly and in the presence of others" during talks, which he described as "constructive and businesslike."

But Labid Abbawi, a senior Iraqi Foreign Ministry official who attended the meeting, confirmed that an argument broke out between the Iranian and American envoys. He would not elaborate.

Before the talks, U.S. officials said the Baghdad conference would allow all sides to spell out their positions frankly and pave the way for more substantive discussions on resolving the Iraq crisis.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, appealed for international help to sever networks aiding extremists and warned that Iraq's growing sectarian bloodshed could spill across the Middle East.

Khalilzad also urged nations bordering Iraq — which include Syria and Iran — to increase their assistance to al-Maliki's government, saying "the future of Iraq and the Middle East is the defining issue of our time."

"(Iraq) needs support in this battle that not only threatens Iraq but will spill over to all countries in the region," al-Maliki said.

Al-Maliki urged for help in stopping financial support, weapon pipelines and "religious cover" for the relentless attacks of car bombings, killings and other attacks that have pitted Iraq's Sunnis against majority Shiites.

Underscoring the security crisis, at least two mortar shells exploded near the Foreign Ministry where the talks were held but caused no casualties. A suicide car bomber also killed 20 people in the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City.

The participants at the talks included all of Iraq's neighbors — Iran, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Kuwait — as well as the U.S., Russia, France, Britain, China, Bahrain, Egypt, the U.N., the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League.

At a news conference after the meeting, Araghchi restated Tehran's demands for a clear timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces, which he insisted had made Iraq a magnet for extremists from across the Muslim world.

"For the sake of peace and stability in Iraq ... we need a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces," said Araghchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs.

"Violence in Iraq is good for no country in the region," he said. "Security of Iraq is our security and stability in Iraq is a necessity for peace and security in the region."

Araghchi said he had no face-to-face, private talks with Khalilzad and that the discussions were "within the framework of the meeting." He spoke of "very good interaction by all the delegations."

Khalilzad, too, called the meeting a "first step."

"The discussions were limited and focused on Iraq and I don't want to speculate after that," said the Afghan-born Khalilzad, who greeted Araghchi in the Persian language.

He told reporters in a conference call after the session that he took it as a good sign Iran and Syria both pledged support for a stable Iraq, including reconciliation among Iraq's factions.

"I think one has to be cautious about exaggerating the impact of what has happened, but what has happened in my view cannot be dismissed," Khalilzad said. "It was a good meeting."

Nevertheless, the discussions illustrated the deep differences between Tehran and Washington, although each insists that full-scale civil war is in neither country's interest.

"Regarding security, we have channels that we can put to use," Araghchi told The Associated Press. "We are ready for any help we can give to Iraq."

Reza Amiri, a senior official at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, dismissed American claims that Tehran was destabilizing Iraq by arming Shiite militias. The U.S. military has insisted that Iranian weapons, including a new generation of powerful roadside bombs, have killed more than 170 U.S. and coalition troops here since mid-2004.

"They're lying because it is just not true," Amiri told the AP. "Iraq's borders with Iran are the most secure of Iraqi borders. The Iraqi government has not even once said Iran is interfering in its affairs."

But Amiri said Saturday's conference was "very positive" because "everyone promised to cooperate with each other and to control the borders."

The delegates proposed an "expanded" follow-up meeting, which could include the G-8 nations and others, in Istanbul, Turkey, next month. Iraqi officials, however, say they will urge that the next meeting take place again in Baghdad.

For Iran, opening more direct contacts with Washington could help promote their shared interests in preventing full-scale war between Sunnis and Shiites. Iran has influence among Shiite political parties with ties to militias.

"Security of Iraq is our security and stability in Iraq is a necessity for peace and security in the region," Araghchi said at the news conference.

The Baghdad talks come as the U.S. administration has toughened its rhetoric on Iran and flexed its muscles at the U.N. over Tehran's disputed nuclear program. The tough talk has been accompanied by the arrival of two U.S. carrier battle groups near the Iranian shores in the Persian Gulf.

Iranians increasingly fear that a U.S. attack is imminent despite American insistence to the contrary.

The U.S. and Iran severed diplomatic ties after Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran following the 1979 Islamic revolution. In the late 1990s, U.S. and Iranian envoys were part of an eight-nation group studying Afghanistan's troubles under the Taliban, and both nations took part in meetings to establish an interim Afghan government after the Taliban's fall in 2001.

In 2000, a four-member U.S. congressional delegation met with Iran's parliament speaker, Mehdi Karroubi, and others for informal talks during a worldwide gathering of lawmakers in New York.

Iranian analyst Saeid Leylaz said the Baghdad conference would be a non-starter if it's not followed by a one-on-one dialogue between Washington and Tehran.

"How can you expect us to talk to them about Iraq's security without Iran's security being part of the talks?" said Leylaz.

He said only a "constructive and strategic dialogue between Tehran and Washington" would resolve the Iraq problem.

"Tehran could help temporarily in Iraq," said Leylaz, "but for an everlasting solution, talks should comprise of security guarantees for the whole region," said Leylaz.

"The Americans must understand the question of security is a matter of life and death for Iran," he said. And no where is that security as vital for Iran as on its borders with Iraq.