White House: U.S. won't talk to Syria, Iran directly

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials won't hold direct talks with Iran or Syria at a Baghdad conference next month despite the Bush administration's complaints that those countries are allowing weapons into Iraq, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Wednesday.

Direct talks would happen only if those countries made changes to their own policies. Iran would have to halt its uranium enrichment work and Syria would have to stop supporting groups Washington considers terrorist organizations, Snow said.

"If between now and the 10th of March the Iranians suspended reprocessing and enrichment, then you'd have a different ballpark," he said. "If the Syrians had changed their attitude toward Hamas and Hezbollah, OK."

~snip~

During a Senate hearing Tuesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates painted U.S. attendance at the conference as a step toward carrying out one of the study group's major recommendations.


more:http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/28/iraq.conference/index.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. Are we going to send messages to each other by carrier pigeon?

We are pursuing a failed policy in the Middle East. The Bush regime's solution is to stay the course at all costs, as if everything was based on some irrational belief that Jesus will show up at the last minute and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

[Celefin]

4. Nope... only carriers, no pigeons. -nt-

...

[Megahurtz]

21. Yep. Aircraft Carriers.

Now that's Diplomacy for ya. :sarcasm:

[Eugene]

2. AP: Iran's participation at summit uncertain

Iran's participation at summit uncertain

By ANNA JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

13 minutes ago

CAIRO, Egypt - Iran's level of participation remained uncertain Thursday as Iraq pushed
ahead with plans to hold a March 10 conference with its neighbors and key Western
countries on the Iraqi security crisis.

Some Arab neighbors like Egypt, for their part, still have grave doubts the gathering will
accomplish much.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Wednesday the Iranians had agreed to participate
in a meeting with Iraq's other neighbors. But he said "they have some questions" about a
separate session that would be held the same day with the five permanent U.N. Security
council members — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

His words seemed to indicate that Iran was at least partly unhappy with the arrangements
for the conference. Iran has had little public comment on the conference so far beyond
saying it would weigh attending and that it generally supported regional efforts to
stabilize Iraq.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070301/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_conference

[maddezmom]

3. Condi and Gates had no intention of talking with the Iranians

just placating Conrgess with the attempt. :eyes: Reading the headlines on yahoo and google looks like the MSM bought it hook line and sinker.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. I don't suppose they're going to use the communication commonly found in

middle school cafeterias wherein you give a message to someone to give to someone else you wouldn't directly talk to and they reciprocate.

[maddezmom]

14. I was thinking of the 2 tin cans connected by a string

:hi:

[no_hypocrisy]

16. LOL! n/t

[spanone]

17. That would be too direct.

[youngdem]

6. Childish pricks n/t

[bemildred]

7. Immature weasels. nt

[HCE SuiGeneris]

10. Juvenile jingoists n/t

[Roland99]

12. Prepubescent punks.

[The Stranger]

8. The Neocons can't talk to Iran and Syria -- they might make sense.

They cannot be diverted from their goals of bloodlust, hate, murder and self-supremacy.

[LeftHander]

9. Fast foward one year...

After Iran invasion they will be saying they offered to sit down but Iran walked away.

[HuffleClaw]

15. they'll claim 'diplomacy failed' n/t

[Roland99]

11. They'll have their people talk with their people.

Can't be getting The Decider to, you know, make a decision.

[HuffleClaw]

13. this administration is a pack of spoiled children

criminally reckless and dangerously simple

[donkeyotay]

18. The US shouldn't talk to Iran and Syria because they obviously have nothing to say

Maybe they could shut up and listen. They might learn something, not that it would do this one-trick-pony administration much good.

[TheBaldyMan]

19. does this put US foreign policy on the level of kindergarten or elementary school?

it sure as hell isn't a grown up way to do things.

[Megahurtz]

20. Oh Sure, He doesn't Want Diplomacy,

that would ruin his little "Armageddon - Rapture" plan. :sarcasm:

[Snellius]

22. Talk to the hand, the face don't want to hear it anymore

How do they hope to reach any agreement when they won't even show enough respect to talk directly?

[Supersedeas]

23. Dr. Condi's last stand