Conference brings Iran and US to the same table, at last.

[Libra Girl]

Conference brings Iran and US to the same table at last

Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor
America and Iran could make history today with the first talks between senior officials for nearly three decades.
But as Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, and her Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in Egypt for talks on Iraq, there was precious little evidence that the two sides were prepared to bury their differences.


The two-day meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh is intended to help the beleaguered Government in Baghdad. Representatives from countries on the UN Security Council and members of the G8 group of leading industrialised nations will be asked to renew economic commitments for Iraq’s recovery. The other key participants are Iraq’s six neighbours. Iran and Syria, who have been accused of supporting insurgent groups in Iraq, will be urged to crack down on cross-border activity.


The Iraqis, in turn, will be asked to work harder to incorporate the Sunni community in government.
But the most important talks may well take place in bilateral meetings on the fringes, where it is hoped that America and Iran will sit down face-to-face for the first time since the Iranian revolution in 1979.
“If we encounter each other then I am certainly planning to be polite and see what that encounter brings,” said Dr Rice, who met her Iranian counterpart last September at the UN.
She said that talks would concentrate on Iraq but that she was open to broaden out dialogue to include Iran’s nuclear programme. “I think I can handle any question that is asked of me,” she said. But she cautioned against “overreaching expectations” of the meetings, a point highlighted by Tehran’s hesitation. The Iranians confirmed only last weekend that they would attend the gathering, and Mr Mottaki said yesterday that he had yet to decide whether to meet Dr Rice.


In Iran, President Ahmadenijad kept up the rhetoric against Washington, demanding in a speech that the US get out of Iraq and vowing not to “yield an inch” over his country’s controversial nuclear programme.
Arab diplomats had better hopes for progress from a planned meeting between Dr Rice and Walid Moualem, the Syrian Foreign Minister. Washington curtailed contacts with Damascus after the assassination in Beirut of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister, which was blamed by many on Syrian agents.If the US does resume dialogue with Iran and Syria it will mark a major climbdown: the Iraq Study Group recommended last year that America open talks with Tehran and Damascus, but the proposal was rejected by President Bush.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1739128.ece

 

[#juan]

“If we encounter each other then I am certainly planning to be polite and see what that encounter brings,” said Dr Rice, who met her Iranian counterpart last September at the UN.
She said that talks would concentrate on Iraq but that she was open to broaden out dialogue to include Iran’s nuclear program. “I think I can handle any question that is asked of me,”

What someone asks, "Why did you force that corrupt pig of a Shah on us for twenty years?".

 

[thomaska]

I'd Say,"Yeah..sorry about that. Good thing, things are going so much better now...oops my ankle is showing...please don't hang me"

 

[darkbeaver]

Rice should be boiled slowly.

 

[thomaska]

No wait...after the first question she should stand up and scream.."THIS IS SPARTA!!!"

That should set a festive mood for the rest of the meeting:lol:

 

[MHz]

I'll bet this other meeting will be more productive
http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0704213952125846.htm
"President Chavez to visit Iran soon: Mottaki

Caracas, April 21, IRNA
Iran-Venezuela-Chavez
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here Friday evening that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is to visit Tehran in the near future.
He made the remark while talking to reporters following his meeting with the Venezuelan president."



I doubt this guy gets invited to the meeting with the Americans,
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=JAM20070502&articleId=5544

"1. All parts of the Iraqi resistance should be the exclusive representatives for Iraqis.

2. An immediate withdrawal of American forces without conditions.

3. Full compensation for both Iraq and Iraqis for those who have been killed since the sanctions starting in 1991 until now. During the sanctions, 1.7 million Iraqis were killed. And according to the Lancet report, 655,000 have been killed, and by now possibly even one million.

4. The release of everyone in prisons.

5. Canceling all the current political procedures and all the 100 Bremer Orders legislation done during the Iraqi Governing Council because according to international law, it is illegal to make any political and legislative action while the country is under occupation.

6. Canceling the UN legislation that has been passed since the sanctions.

7. Putting all the traitors, those who betrayed Iraq, and those who are allies of the Americans into trials."

Now if somebody could slip in a copy of Venezuela's new constitution to everybody of concern in Iraq they could ditch the one currently planned for passing?

You would think a discussion about Iraq should maybe like take place in the middle of Iraq rather than some distant country.

 

[gopher]

It sure would be nice and help serve the cause of peace if the Bush regime would resort to tact and diplomacy rather than with threats and violence.

 

[MHz]

They way it worked on this continent the people who lived there originally didn't get any real benefits, most if not all agreements were broken. I doubt if the game plan will end up being any different over there.

http://www.azteca.net/aztec/story.html

Interesting story from a Navajo

[FONT=arial,helvetica] About 1966 or so, a NASA team doing work for the Apollo moon mission took the astronauts near Tuba City. There the terrain of the Navajo Reservation looks very much like the lunar surface. Among all the trucks and large vehicles were two large figures that were dressed in full lunar spacesuits.[/FONT] [FONT=arial,helvetica] Nearby a Navajo sheep herder and his son were watching the strange creatures walk about, occasionally being tended by other NASA personnel. The two Navajo people were noticed and approached by the NASA personnel. Since the man did not know English, his son asked for him who the strange creatures were. The NASA people told them that they were just men that were getting ready to go to the moon. The man became very excited and asked if he could send a message to the moon with the astronauts.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica] The NASA personnel thought this was a great idea so they rustled up a tape recorder. After the man gave them his message, they asked his son to translate. His son would not.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica] Later, they tried a few more people on the reservation to translate and every person they asked would chuckle and then refuse to translate. Finally, with cash in hand someone translated the message, [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica] "Watch out for these guys, they come to take your land."[/FONT]

 

[normbc9]

While all of the statesman dances are being carried out it would be nice if both the US representative and the Iranian counter-part could do so without a lot of media fanfare. I had a chance while serving in the military tro do Embassy Security Team duty for four years. It was a real eye-opener for me. Due to my assigned location not allowing foreigneres on their streets without prior approval from the government and also the required escort I decided I'd spend my time in the Embassy library. What I had a chand ce to read while passing das away just about blew me out of my chair. I found out that during WW II the US corporate interests continued through a convoluted routing system to do business with the Axis powers. The Standard Oil (ESSO) European unit guaranteed fossil fuel resources to germany and they did provide those resources on a regular basis. Union Oil had a sweetheart deal wit the Mussolini to do the same with products from their refieneries located on the North African costal areas. AT&T did communications business with all of the Axis governments. GM continued its whole ownership of Opel in Germany. Ford produced critical mecahical support supplies and shipped the finished product through its Swedish outlet. Monsanto had a contract with one of its divisions to profduce and package ration type meals for the US military field personnel. These were called C-Rations. They also packaged another menu for the use by the European based Axis forces. The labels were printed in German or Italian. When the European theater war was winding down there was a mad rush by the US and the Russians to grab any highly trainned technical personnel and spirit them out of the country. That is how both sides obtained their infrmation about weaponry, jet aviation, rocketry and so forth. The US was so paranoid about what they feared the new threat from the Russians would be actually provide shelter and escape for a number of German intelligence officials. Of course none of us were ever told that. Anothrer fact I learned was that FDR had a meeting with Stalin where Churchill wasn't in attendance and bargained off the nations of Poland, Hungary, Chechslovakia and other eastern European nations in exchange for other concessions. I don't believe a word I hear from outr diplomatic corps. The agenda they have is not one that will result in any positive coming from it. Look at the positive results from Gov. Bill Richardson's visit to North Korea achieved. Our diplomatic corps had been speaking to the North for years with littl or no positive results. As far as I'm concerned all Rice is doing is parroting what she is told to say by those who prosper from war in the US.