Iran offers Iraq security help

[bemildred]

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran offered on Tuesday to help establish security and stability in Iraq after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held talks in Tehran on his first official visit to the Islamic Republic.

Maliki’s aides said he would tell fellow Shi’ite Islamist leaders in Iran that Tehran should not interfere in Iraqi affairs, a message likely to please Washington which accuses Iran of backing militants fighting U.S. troops in Iraq.

But Maliki and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave few details about their talks on Tuesday, except to say that the two neighbours which fought a bloody war in the 1980s had agreed to cooperate in political, economic and security fields.

"We will give our full assistance to the Iraqi government to establish security in (Iraq). Strengthening security in Iraq means strengthening security and stability in the region," Ahmadinejad told a joint news conference after their meeting.

Great pic of Maliki and Ahm-an-idjit there, BTW.

Tiscali

[William769]

1. Where do I even begin.

That would be the same as the Help they are getting from Bush IMHO.

[Bush_MUST_Go]

3. I wonder what The Decider has to say about this? "See, I told you I'm a Uniter."

[mom cat]

6. Bingo!

[pinto]

2. The plot thickens.

An objective push for some regional talks here would bode us all well. Bushco's never been up to it. But if the West's goals include *real* regional stability, it would make sense that we support a big enough table for the Arab states as well as Turkey and Iran and Israel.

[Veronica.Franco]

4. I smell James Baker ...

First the Iraq Study Group ... then Gates gets SOD ... now Iran is going to save Iraq? ... what's next? ... out goes Cheney (too ill to finish his term) and in comes Rudy? ... and wah lah ... the neocons have reinvented themselves and gotten OUT of Iraq ... then they can impeach junior if they choose to do so ...

[bemildred]

5. Iran is in a better position to save Maliki, I think.

I don't know if saving Iraq is really on the agenda.

[Veronica.Franco]

7. A deal was made ... IMHO ...

"Maliki’s aides said he would tell fellow Shi’ite Islamist leaders in Iran that Tehran should not interfere in Iraqi affairs, a message likely to please Washington" ...

"Likely to please" James Baker or it wouldn't have happened at all ... Maliki stays in power and Iran provides security for Iraq ... I don't believe in coincidence ... the Irag Study Group has been very busy for months ... Has the US been threatening Iran recently? ... They have what they NOW need to "gracefully" withdraw from Irag within a year ... Iran "assisting" Iraq was a foregone conclusion but the timing, so close to the resignation of Rumsfeld, seems like a very well orchestrated turn of events ...

[bemildred]

8. It would seem like the sensible thing to do.

And Iran is the only player in a position to help. We make certain promises and guarantees, we get certain guarantees and certain sorts of help. The alternative looks remarkably ugly. But is really going to piss off the NeoCons, which is great.

[bemildred]

9. I should add, I am in doubt whether keeping Iraq "whole" is part

of this or not. I would guess "not" right now, but we'll have to wait and see.

[Veronica.Franco]

11. Baker is a business man ...

He is doing what needs to be done ... cleaning up after junior ... wouldn't surprise me if Pelosi made that "impeachment is off the table" statement in exchange for what she has just acquired ... Panetta is with The Iraq Study Group too ... is he representing the dems or Hillary? ... maybe he led Pelosi to believe she'd be on the ticket with Hillary? ... who knows ... but they made these deals before the election and then took all the power away from junior before he hurt himself and US any further ... Cheney must be pretty nervous about now ....

[bemildred]

12. Yep. nt

[otherlander]

10. Is that like Fat Tony offering you insurance?