U.S. Interested in Iran Talks Over Iraq

U.S. Interested in Iran Talks Over Iraq


Monday May 22, 2006 3:31 AM

AP Photo BAG124

By JOHN DANISZEWSKI

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Formation of a national unity government in Baghdad has cleared
the way for proposed direct talks between the United States and Iran about the situation
inside Iraq, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said Sunday.

The Afghan-born, Farsi-speaking ambassador has been authorized to hold discussions with Iran.
If the talks take place, they would amount to the most public bilateral exchanges by the
countries since soon after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

But the topic of the talks from the U.S. viewpoint is supposed to be an exchange of views
on the situation in Iraq, rather than broader subjects like Iran's controversial nuclear
program or Iran's renewed verbal hostility to Israel since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came
to power last summer.

In an interview with The Associated Press in the U.S. Embassy Annex in Baghdad, Khalilzad said
talks with Iran about Iraq could not have taken place earlier because the United States did not
want to leave anyone under the impression that Iran and the United States "got together
to decide the government in Iraq."