Iran Ties Role in Iraq Talks to U.S. Exit

NYT Just days after the Iraq Study Group recommended opening a dialogue with Tehran, Iran’s foreign minister said his country would enter discussions on stabilizing Iraq only if the United States commits to a troop withdrawal.

Troop withdrawal is a good idea. We need the troops in Afganistan, so we should stage them along the eastern border of Iraq, to prevent any more Iranian arms from being moved into Iraq for the Shiite militias, and we should tell Iran we are going to move those forces into Afganistan. Of course that will mean moving through Iran, and we can take care of a few problems there on the way to Afganistan.

Speaking to a security conference in Manama, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran was open to dialogue as long as the United States “changes its attitude,” and he asserted that the Americans were “50 percent to blame” for Iraq’s violence.

That is foolish. Iran is responsible for 60%, Syria 30%.

In a defiant presentation, he also insisted that the United States stop campaigning against Iran’s nuclear program.

In that he has a point. We should stop campaigning against it, and just take it out.