Ahmadinejad to make landmark visit to Iraq: ministry

[cal04]

Source: Reuters

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accepted an invitation to visit Baghdad, Iraq's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, a landmark trip that would make him the first leader of Iran to visit its former foe.

Iran and Iraq fought an eight-year war in the 1980s in which hundreds of thousands were killed, but relations have improved since Saddam Hussein was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and a Shi'ite Islamist-led government came to power.

"President Ahmadinejad has accepted an invitation from President (Jalal) Talabani to come to Iraq," Iraqi deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abawi told Reuters.

An aide to Ahmadinejad, who asked not to be identified, said: "We have heard about it but no date has been scheduled."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080123/wl_nm/iraq_ahmadinejad_dc

[bdamomma]

1. Interesting.

[MessiahRp]

2. I'm surprised the Administration hasn't started whining and stomping their feet about this already

This whole thing has backfired on them hasn't it? Our efforts to fight everyone in the Middle East has only strengthened Iran's ability to sway world opinion and Ahmadinejad continues to appear to be more of a diplomat than Bush.

I would not be surprised at all if Bushco had their military strike him if he came in and then of course blame it on Sunni Insurgents.

Rp

[gratuitous]

3. Compare and contrast, class

Who can visit Baghdad on an announced schedule, and who has to slip in for a "surprise" visit? Please list as many reasons as you can for this difference; in your discussion analyze various components such as international standing, general courage (or lack thereof) of each country's leader, and each government's openness.

You have 10 minutes. Begin.

[IsItJustMe]

4. I believe the bottom line will be this: We went to war with Iraq because of a divine scheme that

was developed by the NeoCon conservatives of our country. With the short sightedness of this pResident and his administration, with the help of a corporate American m$m, the results of this war had the exact opposite effect, that they were trying to achieve.