Region | Iran
Key players to push own interests
The United States has agreed to do what it once insisted it wouldn't do: Talk directly to Iran about Iraq, without preconditions.
- By Dan Murphy, The Christian Science Monitor
- Published: 00:00 March 2, 2007
- Image Credit: EPA
- An Iraqi man explains his plight inside a mosque that was raided by Iraqi forces in Baghdad's Shaab district.
Boston: The United States has agreed to do what it once insisted it wouldn't do: Talk directly to Iran about Iraq, without preconditions.
After an initial meeting in two weeks, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to sit down in April with the foreign ministers of some 20 countries, including two that the United States considers key troublemakers in the region: Iran and Syria.
Though the meeting will be confined to the goal of stabilising Iraq the Bush administration's decision to participate indicates that the days of working from an "our-way-or-the-highway" stance may be over.
Still, the sprawling nature of the regional talks means that understanding what key players want will be crucial to meaningful progress.
US eyes support
Holding the conference reflects an effort to build the Iraqi government's legitimacy in the region.
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"This initiative is about normalising the new Iraqi government's relations with the rest of the world," says Patrick Clawson, deputy director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "It's part of a process of the government taking on more authority, and part of that is developing better relations with its neighbours."
To be sure, Rice's announcement does not necessarily mean the administration has wholeheartedly jumped on the "talking with the enemy" bandwagon.
Clawson says such a broad conference is unlikely to be the venue for negotiating specific issues but will serve to encourage more international assistance for Iraq.
Iran's opportunity
Ali Larijani, the head of Iran's national security council, said the country would attend if it was "expedient". Analysts say Iran won't miss the chance to sit down with the United States. It remains angry at US allegations of nuclear-weapons programme but America's apparent belief that Iran can help fix the problems of its neighbour opens up the slight possibility of less pressure on nukes in exchange for more help on Iraq.
Iran has been making overtures for more bilateral diplomacy for years, but has been consistently rebuffed by the United States.
Britain sceptical
Britain's interests and perspectives on Iraq are roughly aligned with America's.
Still, Downing Street is sceptical about how constructive the talks with Tehran and Damascus will prove. "Meeting is good but results have to flow from meetings," said a British foreign office spokesman.
Syria keen on dialogue
Like Iran, Syria will see the meeting as a chance to get a "foot in the door" with the United States which has cold-shouldered Damascus for the past two years.
Syria's President Bashar Al Assad repeatedly said it wants to resume full dialogue with the United States and that it's willing to revive peace talks with Israel.
Analysts say Syria will seek to use the meeting to advance its interests outside of Iraq. "Probably the immediate priority is Lebanon, followed by the Palestinian and Israeli issue," said Andrew Tabler, a Damascus-based fellow with the Institute of Current World Affairs.
Russia's worry
The Russians are intensely worried about how Middle East destabilisation might affect Russia's neighbours in the Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as attitudes among their own population of 20 million Muslims.
Russia wants to reestablish its credentials as a big-power player in the region, analysts say, and more engagement on Iraq creates an opportunity to do that.
Peace talks for Iraq
Iraq, of course, wants peace and stability, as well as to be treated as an equal by its neighbours, particularly by Sunni states like Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
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