America to Open Talks With Syria and Iran on Iraq

America to Open Talks With Syria and Iran on Iraq

Source Link: www.boston.com

The United States agreed yesterday to join high-level talks with Iran and Syria on the future of Iraq, an abrupt shift in policy that opens the door to diplomatic dealings the White House had shunned in recent months despite mounting criticism.

The move was announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in testimony on Capitol Hill, after Iraq said it had invited neighboring states, the United States, and other nations to a pair of regional conferences.

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Drat. Sorry, Didn't see the previous newslink on this, though I did look for one. feel free to lock the thread...

posted by thelibra

America to Open Talks With Syria and Iran on Iraq - The United States agreed yesterday to join high-level talks with Iran and Syria on the future of Iraq, an abrupt shift in policy that opens the door to diplomatic dealings the White House had shunned in recent months despite mounting criticism.

The move was announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in testimony on Capitol Hill, after Iraq said it had invited neighboring states, the United States, and other nations to a pair of regional conferences.
[Edited by Don W]

So are we to believe Bush43 has had an epiphany? Or just an eureka moment? He promised to work with the Democrats the day after the last election but so far, he has not. No consult on Gates, no consult on Negroponte, no consult on the new DNI. No sit-down in the ISG Report. For all these years since he has been our first designated president, he has set pre-conditions on our adversaries before he - as representative of the United States - would talk to countries or groups. He says they must “surrender” before he will talk. He pronounced Iran, North Korea and Iraq as the “Axis of Evil.” “Evil” is a word reeking of religious overtones. I have never liked to employ such words in the political arena. Life - especially geopolitical life -is already complicated enough without introducing the endless ambiguities of religion. Besides, the US would have a hard time passing the same test Bush43 lays down for others.

When Hamas won the uncoerced support of the Palestinians in a genuine election, the kind the US seems to talk a lot about but which we cannot tolerate when one goes against us, not to recall our own electoral snafues, perhaps we will now sit at the same table as they?

Lebanon is the product of religiosity gone amok. France made Beirut - - a Christian (Catholic) enclave - out of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1920s. It’s the only so-called “confessional” state I am aware of. This approach to political dominance based on religious connections seems to be bankrupt. And here the US is, in 2007, talking more and more about creating another such state for Iraq!

It is clear (to me) that in the area of Lebanon where Muslims live that Hezbollah is the dominant political entity. We unleashed our trained and armed - and no doubt we provided intelligence to - the IDF - a misnomer - no defense involved here - which the said IDF inflected excessive death and destruction on a helpless South Lebanon, thereby assuring another generation of Muslim recruits to the radical groups united by religion, hence mis-labeled in the West as “Islamic.”

Despite Colin Powell’s insightful warning to Bush43, “If you break it, you own it,” we are there now. We have mucked up Iraq beyond the worst nightmares Saddam Hussein could have heaped upon his people. Now we can’t find our way out of Iraq. Everyone wants out, no one knows how to get out.

Father Bush41 conceived and chose the Iraq Study Group with the real goal of providing Bush43 “cover” to get America out of the Iraqi Civil War. B43 missed that golden opportunity. Now, with the Birmingham Songbird Condo Rice as a wimpy Secretary or State, we are about to attend a conference of hard ball players from France, Germany, Russia, China, Iran, Syria, and Iraq. Saudi Arabia ought to be there, too, and in truth, Israel , but that would be too much for even the Big 4, France, German, Russia and Cina - to be able to pull off. I suspect GOP Congressmen have insisted on this conference. We can tell by looking at the outcome.

I have argued since September 12, 2001, that the Israeli-Arab or Palestinian question, is the root cause of America’s problems in the Middle East. Solve that, and we can go back to business as usual. Ignore it, and we cannot find our way out. And America is the only country that can solve it.

[edit on 2/28/2007 by donwhite]