Iraq talks could pave road home for America

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The Iranian-Syrian-US-Iraqi talks in Baghdad at the weekend might - and it's a very flimsy "might" - be the beginning of America's road home from its disastrous invasion and occupation of Mesopotamia.

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Interestingly, it was the Iranian Foreign Ministry - rather than the US State Department - which went out of its way to praise the Baghdad talks as a first step to restore security in Iraq. "Leaving security affairs to the Iraqi government, arranging a timetable for the departure of foreign forces, and taking an impartial approach to all terrorist groups can bring peace and security," the ministry's spokesman, Mohamed Ali Hosseini, said yesterday. A proposed second round of talks - in Baghdad or Istanbul - may involve Iran's Foreign Minister.

But old habits die hard. During Saturday's talks, Mr Satterfield pointed to his briefcase, claiming it contained documents that proved Iran was arming Shia militias in Iraq, a remark that earned him a stinging rebuke from the Iranian envoy. "Your accusations are merely a cover for your failures in Iraq," Mr Aragchi replied.

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The Americans have been asserting for some weeks that Iranian technology has been used in bombs that have killed up to 170 American and other foreign troops in Iraq. Yet their "evidence" does not appear to prove any such thing; Iraq is awash with weapons and explosives and other bomb-making materials and it seems unlikely Shia gunmen need any training from the Iranians.

But the whole anti-Iranian stance of the US administration over Iraq does not appear to make much sense. It accuses Tehran of interfering in the work of the Iraqi government - despite the fact the largest parties in the Iraqi government were born and nurtured in Iran. In other words, Iran is already "in" Baghdad and its protégés are running the show from the Green Zone close to the Foreign Ministry where this weekend's talks were held.


Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2349990.ece