Rice Says U.S. Won't Engage Iran And Syria

Rice Says U.S. Won't Engage Iran And Syria

By Glenn Kessler and Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, December 15, 2006; Page A01

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday rejected a bipartisan panel's recommendation that the United States seek the help of Syria and Iran in Iraq, saying the "compensation" required by any deal might be too high. She argued that neither country should need incentives to foster stability in Iraq.

"If they have an interest in a stable Iraq, they will do it anyway," Rice said in a wide-ranging interview with Washington Post reporters and editors. She said she did not want to trade away Lebanese sovereignty to Syria or allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon as a price for peace in Iraq.

Rice also said there would be no retreat from the administration's push to promote democracy in the Middle East, a goal that was de-emphasized by the Iraq Study Group in its report last week but that Rice insisted was a "matter of strategic interest." She reiterated her commitment to pursuing peace between Palestinians and Israelis -- a new effort that President Bush announced in September but that has yielded little so far.

"Get ready. We are going to the Middle East a lot," Rice said.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/14/AR2006121401893.html

we lost. It's their show now.

The process of breaking Iraq up will proceed, anyway, through back channel diplomacy. It's already happening:

Chalabi Emerges In Damascus On Peace Quest

WASHINGTON — A little-noticed visit by Ahmad Chalabi to Syria is igniting speculation that the former Iraqi exile leader is emerging as a key channel between Damascus and Washington.

After a weekend meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, Mr. Chalabi announced that Syria and Iraq would formally open their respective embassies in Damascus and Baghdad on Monday. An American diplomat said yesterday that Mr. Chalabi also was gauging the interest of the Assad regime in a limited rapprochement with America.

Mr. Chalabi regularly consults with the American ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad. On Saturday, Mr. Chalabi told reporters that Syria and Iraq were considering joint patrols along the porous border they share.

While Mr. Chalabi's opposition organization had offices in Damascus throughout the 1990s, he had not visited Syria since before the war. Mr. Chalabi's weekend visit is also notable because Syria has helped fund and supply the Sunni insurgency in Iraq. In some ways, it also reflects new political realities following the Iraq war, including a military and intelligence alliance between Syria and Iran, whose ruling mullahs often consult Mr. Chalabi on Iraq.
http://www.nysun.com/article/45092?page_no=1

finally ends up as Iraqi Prime Minister.

Fitting if he was helicoptered out of the Green Zone when it goes.

:nuke: :grr: :nuke:

they might begin to understand the debt of gratitude this nation owes Chalabi for the war we find ourselves in.

And they would demand he be recalled to Washington to be drawn and quartered.

As it is, he comes and goes as effortlessly as the 9/11 hijackers.

When someone as despicable as Ahmed Chalabi emerges as a "statesman", you know that history has turned a page. Remember Menachin Begin?

Also, look at who gave him the "get out of jail free card" after he was arrested at the Agency's urging in July 2004? The same group.

Who then handed Chalabi the keys to the Minister's suite on the top floor of the Ministry of Oil? The very same group.

What should that tell us about Chalabi? Certainly not that he was acting on behalf of Iran. That's a strange way to punish someone for espionage, if it were true. Unless, of course, you want to argue that GHWB and the neocons are working with Iran? That has some precedent - ask Gary Sick.

He's a useful back-channel, but no Iranian agent, as he's been branded by certain disinformation channels.

Impeach the Monkey King and his minions. Cut off the funds for the war. Congress must do it's duty to check and balance.

if Bush* continues on the same path. Unfortunately the military and the country will pay dearly for this. I just hate to see him fuck our country up any more than he already has!

:eyes:

The crusade to spread "freedom" in the Middle East continues.

They don't realize the world changed and left them behind.

Condi, pretend it's Katrina and go shoe shopping. You wouldn't deal with the Katrina victims either.

For a House, Senate and Presidency overflowing with democrats in '08. You've been kicking us in our faces for way too long. What colossal arrogance and irresponsibility. What fools.

W and Rice need to get out of their way. They had six years and did nothing. The democrats will be the learned adults and take over.

and that wasn't too high - huh? Condi?

At least now their intransigence is in the open. Any "engagement" would simply be a step on the path to war.

We have a mafia at the helm, and they only want the oil.

Full article: http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/12/15/no_middle_east_peace_without_syria_iran_assad

... must drop all their preconceptions and attachments before they reach the gate, or they miss the blessing of possibility.

Didn't Olmert recently just come out and say that all territorial grabs were negotiable, indicating a serious willingness to
negotiate... could we be seeing signs of pilgrimages future?

Pilgrims on the road to kalamazoo, on the road to jerusalem, to dharmsala, mecca, adyodha, kailas, navaho mountain,
setting down all burdens for peace with god, a peace that a terrorist aggressive war criminal cannot know.

Are you telling me that this supposed learned individual couldn't sit down for 5 minutes and think of anything else that Syria or Iran might possibly either want or might motivate them?

No of course not and clearly she has not even bothered to ask anyone in State experienced in general or informed specific to this region, these countries, this issue. Clearly.

The strangest part of this is what we all knew was coming all along. Condi and Bush will posture as though we are making demands of Syria and Iran as if we got to set the parameters. Unfortunately my nation finds itself in a whole other situation WE ARE ASKING FOR THEIR HELP. We, the US the once mightiest nation on earth the sole survivor the winner of the great postwar realignment that was the Cold War, has to go to these countries with a cup in it's hands and beg.


Sad Sad Sad. All the way around.

Diplomacy is for talking with your enemies, or perceived enemies, to find common ground that benefits all sides.

Yes, Syria is an enemy of Israel. Yes, Rock Me Ahmadeinajad of Iran is batshit crazy about his Holocaust denial. But both of those countries have much to lose if the situation in Iraq becomes a regional conflict. Everyone has to get their rear ends to the table now, and it should start with the United States.

It's all pride. Pride before the fall.

Those are the folks who are supposed to be interested in diplomacy and negotiation. Looks like the much-ballyhooed "listening" that Mr. Bush is doing consists mostly of listening to him turn down everything: He won't reduce troop levels; he won't talk to the other countries in the region; he won't talk to his political adversaries. What is he "listening" for? It sounds like he's already made up his mind to just keep doing what he's been doing.

If she won't talk to them, how does she know the cost is too high? Then she admits it should be in their self interest to have a stable Iraq - but has no clue that their leverage is strong only if used in concert with other countries.

This is the same genius who didn't think "OBL wants to attack in US" merited any concern. The people who voted to confirm her should be ashamed.

How many think that next week will be another attack on Democrats - on oversight committees - for doing their job and meeting with the Syrians. (There's a nice blog post (the most recent one) on Johnkerry.com that discusses the Democrats efforts.)

Let the people have their fucking government back.

GOT IT ! Nice Sec. of State we got there.

On top of everything else, we are paying these nincompoops to do this to us.

As long as they agree with us, she'll talk with 'em.

The Iraq Study Group report said you can't negotiate with preconditions. Immediately, after Bush said we won't talk unless Syria & Iran cease funding terrorism. Then Iran's president said in response, "We won't talk until the US soldiers leave and stop occupying a foreign country that doesn't want them there". I look at this from two perspectives: the view of an Arab and the view of an American. For arabs, Iran's precondition is more important that the US precondition; they are not interested in having the US military in their backyard. And for Americans, while I'm not thrilled about Hezbollah either, they don't pose a threat to the American people. So why put that precondition? Let's do whats best for our interests which is to leave Iraq and while doing so, ensure that its neighbors have a greater stake in its stability than in their fighting for influence there.

they are doing this

spite the objections of the WH.......



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Republican Sen. Specter plans Syria trip BY ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
Fri Dec 15,

WASHINGTON - Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), a 26-year Senate Republican, said he will visit Syria despite loud objections by the Bush administration, contending the situation in Iraq is so dire that it is time Congress step up to the plate and see what it can do.



Specter, R-Pa., said in an interview late Friday that he is planning a trip to the Middle East that will include Israel and Syria. The senator said he and other Republicans are concerned that the administration's policies in the Middle East are not working and that other GOP members may follow in his footsteps.

"I've talked to my Republican colleagues, and there is a disquiet here," Specter said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061216/ap_on_go_co/specter_iraq