Bush not concerned about Iraq-Iran meeting

[sabra]

Source: UPI

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush said Thursday he is unconcerned about a picture indicating the leaders of Iraq and Iran had a cordial meeting.

During a White House news conference, Bush responded to a question about whether he is concerned about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s attitude toward Iran, saying he had yet to be briefed about the meeting last week between Maliki and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Generally, Bush said, you want to be cordial. "You don’t want the picture to show you duking it out," Bush said, illustrating the point by raising his fists in a boxing stance.

He said he was not surprised to see a picture showing Maliki and Ahmadinejad smiling, but he said he is not yet convinced Iran plans to play a constructive role in the region.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/08/09/bush_not_concerned_about_iraqiran_meeting/8028/

[rodeodance]

1. Bush said he would have to call Maliki (if getting too friendly with IraN)--te he

[rodeodance]

2. "the meeting last week"--this just happened (ME time)

[bemildred]

3. Maliki praises Iran's role in Iraq

Iran has pledged his support for Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, and said US troops must leave his country immediately.

The Iraqi prime minister on Thursday emphasised the growing strength of bilateral ties during his two-day visit to Iran, despite a renewed warning from George Bush, the US president, over Tehran's alleged role in Iraq.

Al-Maliki was also quoted by Iranian state media as praising Iran's "constructive" role in "fighting terrorism" in Iraq - a statement that Bush moved swiftly to publicly contradict.

"If the signal is that Iran is constructive, I will have to have a heart to heart with my friend the prime minister because I do not believe they are," Bush told a White House news conference.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3266673A-6110-4D20-8848-55DE501219D5.htm

[bemildred]

4. Bush Says Iraqi Leader Shares His View on Iran

President Bush said today that he was confident that Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq shared the White House’s view that Iran is a destabilizing force in the region. Mr. Bush’s remarks came after Mr. Maliki visited to Tehran for talks with Iranian government officials on security in Iraq.

Mr. Maliki and the Iranian vice president, Parviz Davoudi, were portrayed by the Iranian news media today as seeing eye to eye on several security matters, including condemning all forms of terrorism and expressing support for Iraq’s stability.

Asked today what message the meeting and photographs sent by showing an apparently “warm” visit between the Iraqi and Iranian officials, Mr. Bush said that he would first like to get a “readout” from the American embassy in Baghdad, which would be in touch with Mr. Maliki.

“Now, if the signal is that Iran is constructive, I will have to have a heart to heart with my friend, the prime minister,” Mr. Bush said of Mr. Maliki. “Because I don’t believe they are constructive. I don’t think he, in his heart of heart, think they’re constructive either.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/world/middleeast/09cnd-prexy.html

[mc jazz]

5. Great. Now watch how well this works out

I think not good