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U.S. Agrees to Meeting with Iran and Syria
Washington Post ^ | February 26 2007

Posted on 02/26/2007 10:37:23 PM PST by jmc1969

The Bush administration has agreed to sit around a negotiating table with official representatives of Iran and Syria next month -- as part of a planned regional conference in Baghdad to discuss ways to stabilize Iraq.

In joining the Baghdad conference, the administration is tiptoeing into what has become one of the most contentious issues in the roiling Iraq debate. Critics for months have been urging the administration to end its diplomatic isolation of Iran and Syria and begin a constructive dialogue with them about how to stabilize Iraq. Even former secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has generally supported administration policy on Iraq, argued in an op-ed piece last weekend that it’s time to end the diplomatic quarantine and convene an international conference on Iraq.

The initial meeting, tentatively planned for the first half of March, will be at the ambassadorial level, the State Department official said. The American representative will be Zalmay Khalilzad, the current U.S. ambassador to Iraq, or his successor, Ryan Crocker. Khalilzad has long favored direct meetings with Iran. If the initial meeting goes well, a second meeting at the foreign minister level is planned for April.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iran
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1 posted on 02/26/2007 10:37:24 PM PST by jmc1969
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To: jmc1969

Maybe he's going to say..."sorry...lost in translation....bombs started falling an hour ago"


2 posted on 02/26/2007 10:47:13 PM PST by spokeshave ("Hitlery is uniting the country. Everybody hates her.")
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: Yehuda

The Bush administration has agreed to sit around a The Bush administration has agreed to sit around a negotiating table with official representatives of Iran and Syria next month -- as part of a planned regional conference in Baghdad to discuss ways to stabilize Iraq. table with official representatives of Iran and Syria next month -- as part of a planned regional conference in Baghdad to discuss ways to stabilize Iraq.
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I thought negotiating with known terrorists was a NO~NO?


4 posted on 02/26/2007 11:46:32 PM PST by 1COUNTER-MORTER-68 (THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

To: Yehuda

This Is Crap,,,(sorry)...;0)


6 posted on 02/27/2007 12:32:30 AM PST by 1COUNTER-MORTER-68 (THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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To: jmc1969

WTF? Is this from the Onion or Scrappleface?


7 posted on 02/27/2007 12:50:33 AM PST by expatguy (http://laotze.blogspot.com/)
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To: jmc1969

My hope is that we deliver final ultimatums to these two terrorist-sponsoring groups of thugs. Sure that won't happen, though; we'll validate their existence, instead. It is a crazy world.


8 posted on 02/27/2007 12:52:59 AM PST by thelastvirgil (Lest ye put all your faith in the government to provide for you, check their track record.)
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To: jmc1969
Why? Negotiations with these people that view us as the Great Satin will never work. So why keep doing something that does not work? If you do the same thing over and over again, and expect a different result. Then you are either insane or stupid.
9 posted on 02/27/2007 1:12:00 AM PST by Sprite518
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To: jmc1969
I thought W said he doesn't talk with crooks, thugs, tyrants, and dictators.

I guess I was wrong.

10 posted on 02/27/2007 1:55:09 AM PST by Cobra64 (www.BulletBras.net)
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To: 1COUNTER-MORTER-68; Cobra64
I thought negotiating with known terrorists was a NO~NO?

tut tut dear boy, yesterday's terrorists are today's "partners for peace".

What? that doesn't make sense you say?

Not to worry, SecState Condi will not only explain it to you, she'll sit down at the piano and sing it to you:

"You must remember this,
They're not really terrorists,
That's just an ugly lie,
Just two more years for me,
And then I go 'bye-bye'..."
11 posted on 02/27/2007 2:11:35 AM PST by mkjessup (James Baker: "Mr. Bush? I PAID for this piano!! Now PLAY it Condi!!!")
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To: jmc1969
Raising the white flag for W's legacy.


BUMP

12 posted on 02/27/2007 2:15:37 AM PST by capitalist229 (Get Democrats out of our pockets and Republicans out of our bedrooms.)
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To: jmc1969
"The initial meeting, tentatively planned for the first half of March, will be at the ambassadorial level, the State Department official said. "

WAPOST lefties are not to be trusted....please tell us the name of your pretend official.

13 posted on 02/27/2007 2:16:44 AM PST by Earthdweller (All reality is based on faith in something.)
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To: 1COUNTER-MORTER-68

"I thought negotiating with known terrorists was a NO~NO?"

For someone who's been so steadfast in his convictions, am I the only one who's noticed a 'softening' since the elections? WTF is going on with him?


14 posted on 02/27/2007 3:29:56 AM PST by Kimberly GG (DUNCAN HUNTER '08.....lframerica.com.....MARCH TO TAKE BACK AMERICA)
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To: jmc1969

"The Bush administration has agreed to sit around a negotiating table with official representatives of Iran and Syria next month -- as part of a planned regional conference in Baghdad to discuss ways to stabilize Iraq."

Iran and Syria are in the region, Good time to tell them, in the presence of others, what we will not tolerate.


15 posted on 02/27/2007 5:09:13 AM PST by jch10
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To: jmc1969

What's next? Ordering custom made flags from France?


16 posted on 02/27/2007 5:36:36 AM PST by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: jmc1969
Article title:  U.S. Agrees to Meeting with Iran and Syria

Paragraph 4:  "Though it will bring together American, Syrian and Iranian representatives, the Baghdad meeting doesn’t signal a direct U.S. diplomatic engagement with Iran and Syria."

Paragraph 6:  "Iran and Syria haven’t formally agreed to attend the meeting, but “they haven’t said no,” said the State Department official..."

In other (more accurate) words, the US is going to a meeting in Baghdad.  Maybe Iran and Syria will be there, too.  Even if they are, the US has not agreed to meet with them.  How does that translate into "US Agrees to Meeting with Iran and Syria", other than by the misleading use of the word "meeting"?  "US, Iran, and Syria May Be At Same Meeting" conveys the truth and is only one character space longer.

Paragraph 7:  "The trick for the administration has been to gain Iranian and Syrian help in Iraq -- or at least, a cessation of harmful activity -- without conceding ground on the larger issues of paramount importance to those countries. The Baghdad conference appears to offer such a finesse. It begins contact, but leaves diplomatic “grand bargains -- that would address the Iranian nuclear program or Syria’s role in Lebanon -- for other times and venues."

     From the way he writes it, the writer values the issues of the development of nuclear weapons and the fomenting of violence, saying that they are "of paramount importance to those countries" --- and issues about which "bargains" can be made.  Sorry to disappoint you, bub (WaPo writer), but Iran will not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, no bargaining about it.

     The only offered "strategy" that's even made whispers within the Democrat party is negotiating with the terrorists (Iran & Syria).  No wonder the Washington Post used the title it did.

Bytheway, I can not find any official source about US participation in such an event.  Checked the Dept of State website, the White House website. So far, all I have to go on is this writer's word.

17 posted on 02/27/2007 8:39:54 AM PST by Pirate21 (The liberal media are as sheep clearing the path along which they will be led to the slaughter.)
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To: Yehuda; Kimberly GG; mkjessup; Cobra64; All

Mornin',,,So glad to hear that we "JUST NOW" want to sit down with the Terrorists(iran-syria),,,,
This just now updated from Feb.22,,,fleet was already movin' south then,,,Part of "Chop the Money" by the
Libo-Kraps ?? These movements started 7 days ago,,,!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WTH !!!
~~~~~~~~
Ships Underway>ARROWS ARE MINE<<<

Carriers:
USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - Atlantic Ocean<<<<<<EAST<<<<<<
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 67) - Atlantic Ocean
USS Nimitz (CVN 68) - Pacific Ocean
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower - North Arabian Sea
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) - North Arabian Sea

Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG):
USS Boxer (LHD 4) - Persian Gulf
USS Dubuque (LPD 8) - South China Sea<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG):
USS Bataan (LHD 5) - Indian Ocean<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
USS Shreveport (LPD 12) - Indian Ocean<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) - Indian Ocean<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Amphibious Warfare Ships:
USS Tarawa (LHA 1) - Pacific Ocean
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) - Pacific Ocean
USS Essex (LHD 2) - Pacific Ocean
USS Denver (LPD 9) - Pacific Ocean
USS Juneau (LPD 10) - South China Sea
USS San Antonio (LPD 17) - Atlantic Ocean
USS Tortuga (LSD 46) - Pacific Ocean
USS Rushmore (LSD 47) - Pacific Ocean
USS Ashland (LSD 48 ) - Arabian Sea
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) - Pacific Ocean


18 posted on 02/27/2007 9:52:13 AM PST by 1COUNTER-MORTER-68 (THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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To: Earthdweller
WAPOST lefties are not to be trusted....please tell us the name of your pretend official.

Even if the STATE DEPARTMENT official is real, itdoesn't mean the meeting is really planned. The state department is badly infilitrated with Reds and Arabists, and others of the "It's America's Fault" mindset.

19 posted on 02/27/2007 5:47:21 PM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: 1COUNTER-MORTER-68
Carriers:

You left out the Ronald Reagan She's in the West Pac area, subbing for the Kitty Hawk. She arrived in Sasebo, Japan on the 24th of this month. As of the 21st the Kitty Hawk was still in Yokosuka, where she was visited by VP Cheney. KH has been undergoing maintainence in what is deemed a selective restricted availability period, said to last through spring...which is about 3 weeks from now.

20 posted on 02/27/2007 5:58:01 PM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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