State Dept. won't rule out bilateral meeting between Iran, U.S. in Baghdad

[maddezmom]

State Dept. won't rule out bilateral meeting between Iran, U.S. in Baghdad
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- At a briefing Wednesday, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack would not rule out a possible bilateral meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials at this weekend's conference in Baghdad on the future of Iraq.

McCormack even suggested that the United States might be open to such a meeting to discuss alleged Iranian support for Iraqi militias with deadly explosive devices.

"We shall see," McCormack said. "If we have an opportunity to raise the issue of EFPs (explosively formed projectiles) and Iran's support for those networks and supply of those networks with the technology and know-how to construct these EFPs, you bet we're going to raise it, because that gets to an issue of force protection for our troops, and we're going to take every possible opportunity that we can take to ensure that our troops are protected in-theater.

more:http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/03/07/wednesday/index.html

First you say you do and then you don't, then you say you will and then you won't!! :crazy:

[Eugene]

1. AP: Iran to attend conference on Iraq

Iran to attend conference on Iraq

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 12 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran confirmed it will take part in an international conference
alongside the United States in Baghdad on Saturday, a gathering Iraq hopes will
break the ice between the bitter rivals to help end its bloody conflict.

In a sign of how difficult it will be resolve the differences separating the various
sides, the conference of Iraq's neighbors, the United States and the U.N. Security
Council powers will be attended by officials on the level of deputy foreign minister.
A hoped-for session of higher level diplomats has been postponed until later.

-snip-

On the Iranian side, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Wednesday that his
country hoped "the conference will bring forward the end of the presence of foreign
forces" in Iraq — reiterating Tehran's stance that U.S. troops should withdraw.

-snip-

The conference will be the first time American and Iranian officials sit together
in more than two years — a dramatic change in the Bush administration's refusal
to engage Tehran over the war in Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has
said the conference could lead to a meeting of the participants' foreign ministers
and top diplomats as soon as April.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_conference_3