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April 29, 2007
Is Cooperation Possible?
by Tina Grazier
This story offers a small ray of hope, but we can be sure...Tehran is watching our every move.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran will attend a conference of key powers including the United States this week that will focus on stabilising Iraq, a meeting Baghdad said might be a turning point for regional cooperation in easing the violence. **** Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Sunday there was a "high possibility" arch foes Tehran and Washington would hold bilateral talks at the May 3-4 conference in Egypt, although not necessarily at the ministerial level.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who will attend the conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, said she would not rule out the possibility of meeting directly with Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki. **** But what do we need to do? "It's quite obvious," she told ABC television in the United States. "Stop the flow of arms to foreign fighters. Stop the flow of foreign fighters across the borders ... Stop stirring up trouble among militias that then go and kill innocent Iraqis. It's quite clear what needs to be done."
Her job requires a delicate balance. She must show strength and certainty while creating an open door of opportunity for strong willed and proud men to walk through as if they had constructed the door of their own accord and design. A tough job when presented with what appears to be two-faced rhetoric. There is considerable evidence of Iran’s involvement in Iraq and still they deny it:
Iran denies meddling in Iraq and blames the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 for violence…
Zebari, who visited Tehran last week, said one reason Iran had been reluctant to say whether it would attend was the detention of the five Iranians in the Kurdish city of Arbil. **** Washington says the five are linked with Revolutionary Guard networks that provide explosives and arms to forces inside Iraq to attack U.S. troops…
Stand off's seem to be the order of the day in the Middle East and yet, there is always hope…but as we have seen, it must be supported with lots of backbone. The surge…the president’s refusal to go along with Harry Reid’s lame plan, and the amazing strength and determination of our troops continue to provide plenty of backbone. The people of the United States need to stand tall behind our president, General Patreus and our troops. That kind of strength might garner cooperation. it is possible…if we can, as a whole nation, finally get tough and...
Read the story “Iran to attend key meeting on stabilising Iraq” by Ibon Villelabeitia.
Posted by Post Scripts at April 29, 2007 01:49 PM