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Tehran proposes mechanism to defuse Iraq violence

Atul Aneja

Future meetings only if U.S. admits its W. Asia policy is flawed: Iran

— PHOTO: AP

BREAKING THE ICE: U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker (left), Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi (right) and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (centre) at a meeting in the Green Zone, Baghdad, on Monday.

DUBAI: Iran has proposed establishing a "trilateral security mechanism" to defuse violence in Iraq, during talks with the United States in Baghdad.

However, the official level dialogue held after a gap of 27 years, did not yield an agreement on the continuation of talks in the future.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said future meetings could be held if Washington admitted that its West Asia policy had been flawed. "We are hopeful that Washington's realistic approach to the current issues of Iraq by confessing its failed policy in Iraq and the region and by showing a determination to changing the policy guarantees success of the talks and possible further talks," he said.

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said "the purpose of this meeting was not to arrange other meetings". Mr. Crocker said the proposed trilateral security mechanism, involving Iran, the United States and Iraq would require careful consideration in Washington.

Both the Iranian and the American side said the talks focused only on ensuring stability in Iraq.

The Iranian side did not raise the issue of detention of its five officials who had been picked up by the Americans from an Iranian diplomatic facility in Irbil three months ago. Mr. Mottaki said Iran was seeking the release of its diplomats through talks with the Iraqi government, the involvement of the Swiss embassy in Tehran and international good offices.

Guiding principles

Mr. Crocker pointed out that the Iranian policy on Iraq was "very similar to our own policy and what the Iraqi government have set out as their own guiding principles". However, he stressed that during talks, he had urged the Iranians to stop arming, funding and training militants in Iraq who were attacking U.S. and Iraqi forces.

In defusing the Iraq crisis, Iran has maintained that the U.S. must declare a timetable for the withdrawal of its forces from Iraq. Reiterating this stance, Mr. Mottaki said such an announcement would help stop the "bloodbath" in Iraq. "We believe that the best way to put an end to alarming bloodbath in Iraq and spread of violence to the neighbouring countries is that the occupying forces to leave the country and let the Iraqi government and its nation restore national security."

The Iranians have also insisted that neither a modification of the existing Iraqi constitution nor a change in leadership in Iraq, led by a Shia coalition, was required.

The talks in Baghdad were held against the backdrop of a U.S. naval buildup in the Gulf, close to Iranian shores. The Iran-U.S. relationship is also experiencing deep tensions because of differences over the Iranian nuclear programme.

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