Obama to hold telephone conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister

[kentuck]

Perhaps this is a good time to start diplomatic talks with the Iraqi government?
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061302019.html

<snip>
BAGHDAD, June 13 -- The Bush administration's Iraq policy suffered two major setbacks Friday when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki publicly rejected key U.S. terms for an ongoing military presence and anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called for a new militia offensive against U.S. forces.

During a visit to Jordan, Maliki said negotiations over initial U.S. proposals for bilateral political and military agreements had "reached a dead end." While he said talks would continue, his comments fueled doubts that the pacts could be reached this year, before the Dec. 31 expiration of a United Nations mandate sanctioning the U.S. role in Iraq.

<snip>
All the politicians are trying to prove that they care more about Iraqis than they do about Americans -- otherwise they know the people and the voters will not support them," said Ala Maaki, a senior lawmaker with Iraqi's largest Sunni political party. "I think we could see al-Maliki and Moqtada Sadr trying to one-up the other today and see who can take the strongest stand against the Americans."

As the controversy over U.S. troops grew in the region, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari scheduled the first high-level Iraqi government contacts with the two U.S. presidential contenders. Zebari will meet privately Sunday with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) -- who supports administration policy -- and hold a telephone conference Monday with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who has said he would withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq.

[babylonsister]

1. Good! I wonder how this admin will diminish these attempts at

diplomacy? I'm all for opening up some channels. Someone has to. But Zebari talking to McSame is going to sound so familiar.

[kentuck]

2. I think this is the opening for Obama to withdraw our troops..

and I'm sure he will communicate that to the Foreign Minister his intentions.