Iraqi president seeks Iran's help

BBC ^ | 11/27/06 | n/a

[kiriath_jearim]

Visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has called on Iran to provide "comprehensive help" to improve his country's security situation.

Mr Talabani arrived following a two-day delay, caused by a curfew that was imposed after bomb attacks in Baghdad killed more than 200 people.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told him Iran would do what it could.

The trip is part of a renewed flurry of diplomacy that sees US President George W Bush visiting Jordan this week.

Separately, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Monday that Iraq was close to civil war.

Iranian concern

Mr Talabani was given a red-carpet welcome by Mr Ahmadinejad at Iran's presidential palace.

The Iraqi president said: "We need Iran's comprehensive help to fight terrorism, restore security and stabilise."

Mr Ahmadinejad said: "Any help the government and nation of Iran can give to strengthen security in Iraq will be given. We have no limitation for co-operation in any field."

The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says some have suggested Iran wants to keep the US bogged down in Iraq to prevent it attacking Iran in the future over its nuclear programme.

But she says it seems Iran is increasingly concerned about the uncontrollable level of violence in Iraq.

Mr Ahmadinejad has previously said Iran is willing to help but only if the US changes its approach and abandons what it calls its "bullying" of Iran.

Contacts

Mr Talabani is also meeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his visit, which is being keenly watched in the West.

Increased contact with Iran and Syria is one of the options being considered by the US Iraq Study Group, which is in its final stages of deliberation on recommending what new policies Washington could adopt on Iraq.

There have been suggestions the US administration is looking for a new approach following heavy mid-term election losses.

Mr Bush is to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki in Jordan this week while Vice-President Dick Cheney has just been in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Annan, meanwhile, has said Iraq is close to civil war.

"I think given the developments on the ground, unless something is done drastically and urgently to arrest the deteriorating situation, we could be there. In fact we are almost there," he said.

[MNJohnnie]

Ummm NO. That is the common misperception since the Junk Media doesn't bother to actually learn the facts about the Iraq Study Group. The Iraq Study Group is a Congressional, Not a Presidential, Comission. It was the brain child of John McCain and the chicken hearts who use to run the Republican Congress. It was McCain's pound of political flesh to allow the the 2005 Iraqi Appropriation bill thru the US Senate.

[GrandEagle]

A bit like going to an arsonist to seek help with the city's arson problem...

[sgtbono2002]

Iran could help the most by pulling their insurgents out of Iraq and stopping the supply od explosives and other ordnance. I dont know this Talibabi sect of Muslim , but I would guess he is the same sect as the majority of Iranians.
If Ahmedinejhad helps it will be to defeat Iraq and take that country and share it with Syria.

Goint o Ahmadinejhad is like a pig going to a butcher and asking for a pardon.

[MaineVoter2002]

I was just in USENET and some democrat was praising Iran, Syria and Chavez for offering their help to Iraq if the US would leave Iraq.

She went on to say that "pretending to pray five times a day would be worth it for her and her family if that's all that's needed for peace"

Talk about appeasers!

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Actually, I heard that it was Representative Frank Wolf who first put the bug in Condi's ear, and then she did an end run around Cheney and Rumsfeld to get Bush's blessing for the "Study Group."

http://www.house.gov/wolf/news/2006/03-15FreshEyes.html

[MaineVoter2002]

One of our local republicans that often goes on the morning show here has heard the theory from Washington insiders that Bush actually preferred the results he got during this election for two reasons. He was getting nowhere on his Amnesty Program with the republican lead congress and senate. The second is that now that Saddam has been toppled he wants out of Iraq but with the republican lead houses he could not do it (for whatever reason) and feels that it will be easier to get out of Iraq with dems in control. Maybe the theory is based on the dems threatening to stop funding the war which will guarantee an exit strategy.

Maybe there really was no plan to win the peace. Only to topple Saddam

[Uriah_lost]

When the predominant message from the US is that we are preparing to abandon Iraq(true or not), you've got to expect the Iraqi's to look for another way to survive.

[RobRoy]

Hmmm.

I'm reading Executive Orders right now. This sort of reminds me of the book...

[Nancee]

The fox and the hen house!

[alloysteel]

The first overtures have been made in a deal with the Devil.

Short term, Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army gets shut down. Middle term, elements of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps takes over "protection" of the Shi'ite regions of Iraq.
Longer term, the Shi'ite provinces are annexed to Iran.

Right before our eyes, we see Iraq getting carved up.

In some bizarro parallel universe, this would be a "win-win".

[txhurl]

Yep. I'm starting to think the Study Group Report is really more like a Re-Max for sale sign.

[Charles Martel]

She went on to say that "pretending to pray five times a day would be worth it for her and her family if that's all that's needed for peace"

Eventually, her apostasy would be noticed and she would be dragged out to the nearest soccer field and shot through the head (or beheaded with a dull blade, if the local executioner is a traditionalist). These people are swinging the door wide open for an unimaginable evil.

[Spruce]

Like asking John Wayne Gacy to babysit.

[brooklyn dave]

Talabani is a Kurd. Most Kurds are Sunni (Iranians Shia) but not religious fanatics. They wear their Islam rather lightly.

[MaineVoter2002]

When the predominant message from the US is that we are preparing to abandon Iraq(true or not), you've got to expect the Iraqi's to look for another way to survive.

Exactly

[theDentist]

Kerosene, meet Lighter.

[sgtbono2002]

In that case asking Ahmadinejhad for help is a big mistake for him.

[ottersnot]

One of our local republicans that often goes on the morning show here has heard the theory from Washington insiders that Bush actually preferred the results he got during this election for two reasons. Hard one to swallow here. I don't see him as a quitter. It would be quitting to not follow up on our obligations to stabalize this country. I'm not for quitting.

[brooklyn dave]

At first I thought the realist policy would be the right direction to go since the war isn't going well (more like a semi-realist policy). But then the more I read (on the net of course), I think we have to continue to take the unilateral route (we have to eventually realize that the Brits will pull out)--on our terms, not on Iranian or Syrian terms. To put it nicely, Ahmedinejad or Assad aren't interested in doing anything that will benefit the US (spin our heads and get us confused--yes, but benefit us, hell no). Also, I really feel as if we've been fighting this war with one hand tied behind our back so aS NOT TO GET TOO MUCH $H#t from the left wing media.

[sgtbono2002]

We have fought every war since WWII with our hands tied behind our backs. Korea we couldnt attack N. Korea's supplies because those lines were the Chinese.

Viet nam. We fought Russia and China in the background while fighting Viet nam on the front again they were being supplied and we couldnt atack those doing the supplying.

The first Desert Storm. We were told to stop befopre we got to saddam and finished him off. Big mistake.

Now this war, where Iran and Syria are stirring the trouble and we cant attack them. When we kicked saddam out we should have headed down the road to Iran the same day.

[MinuteGal]

"Mr. Annan, meanwhile, has said Iraq is close to civil war."

But, but......one of the alphabet networks has already declared definitively that Iraq is now IN a civil war. This conclusion was stated just like "CBS now definitely calls the state of New York for Al Gore."

All bow down to "The Word".

Also seems Mr. Annan is lagging behind the liberal talking points, ain't he (snicker, ugh, barf).

Leni