posted on March 11, 2007 08:58:54 PM new
Well, well, well, bushy flip-flops and decides diplomacy may work !!!
This will be very sad for those neocons who don't believe in TALKING !
Bush Leaves Door Open for Iran Talks
Updated 11:29 PM ET March 11, 2007
By TOM RAUM
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - President Bush said Sunday that Iran and Syria need to follow through on pledges to help Iraq, but left the door open to additional contacts between Washington and its chief Mideast foes.
"If they really want to help stabilize Iraq, there are things for them to do, such as cutting off weapons flows and or the flow of suicide bombers into Iraq," Bush said during an appearance here with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
The president's cautious assessment came on a six-hour stop designed as a show of confidence in Uribe and the battle against narcoterrorists in this strong but drug and violence-plagued U.S. ally. It was his first public comment on Saturday's international conference held in Baghdad with Iraq, its neighbors and other key countries, such as the United States.
The one-day, closed-door meeting featured rare direct communication between Iran and the United States. Envoys from the two countries did not meet outside the larger meeting, and each blamed the other for Iraq's security crisis.
Reports of testy exchanges aside, Bush praised the session as constructive. He said he hoped momentum from this conference will carry over to the next, which is expected to be held next month in Turkey.
As a sign of the U.S. commitment, he said, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be the nation's representative next time.
"People are now committed publicly to helping Iraq, which I thought was very positive. The other benefit from the conference was that the government gained some confidence," he said. "In terms of the expectations of the next meetings, we'll see."
Iran said it was ready to support any plan that would help end the bloodshed in its neighbor.
Responded Bush: "Those are nice statements, and now they can act on them."
