Rice fails to clinch Arab commitments on Iraq

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

MANAMA (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Sunni-led Arab allies on Monday to try to persuade them to back Iraq's Shiite leadership but failed to clinch any concrete commitments on debt relief or diplomatic presence.

Speaking after the meeting in Bahrain with counterparts from eight Arab countries and Iraq, Rice said the talks covered relieving Iraq of billions of dollars in debt and sending ambassadors to the war-torn nation, but she did not report any decision on either score.

"I do believe it's a process which will move forward," she told reporters after the meeting with the Arab diplomats, which came one day after she made a surprise visit to Baghdad.

"A number of countries around the table talked about their desire to have permanent representatives" in Baghdad, she said.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080421/wl_afp/iraqusdiplomacygulfmideast_080421132510

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Arab nations non-committal on Iraq debt, embassies
Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:28am EDT By Mohammed Abbas and Sue Pleming

MANAMA, April 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice received no firm commitments on debt relief for Iraq or greater Arab diplomatic representation in Baghdad after a meeting of Arab states on Monday.

But she said after a conference of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Jordan and Egypt that Iraq would now routinely attend Gulf Arab meetings, which signalled Baghdad's "reintegration" into regional politics after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari warmly embraced his Saudi counterpart as he entered the Bahrain meeting and said the atmosphere among neighbours had improved.

"A number of countries around the table talked about their desire of having permanent representation in Iraq. The necessary arrangements would need to be made," Rice told a news conference

more:http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSL2128293920080421

[MaineDem]

1. She's really got the knack for consensus-building and diplomacy, doesn't she?

What a disgrace!

[unkachuck]

14. she does....

....seem to fail a lot....maybe she should try a better breath mint....

[yurbud]

2. the Bushies fuck up, send a flood of refugees fleeing to Arab countries, then patronizingly tells...

them THEY need to do more.

Can anyone wonder why they don't fall into line behind the Bushies leadership.

[louis-t]

3. Once again, she doesn't close the deal.

Nice photo op for her though, wasn't it? She got to show off that grimace again.

[truthisfreedom]

9. And I bet she picked out some nice shoes.

Another taxpayer-funded shoe shopping spree for condi.

[Muttocracy]

4. At this point, I just want all the Bush folks to go to Crawford for the next year

They can't seem to do anything useful, so can they please just stop doing more damage? No more failed or embarrasing international trips please.

[libodem]

5. She expected capitulation

just roll over, baby. Must be good to go to a diplomatic meeting and let your enemies know that we would happily bomb them back to the stone-age if we don't get our way. I'm sure we'll be telling Matata Al Sadr, ( I'm not sure how to spell the name)to "Bring it on" regarding the tenuous cease fire. This Administration, has done nothing right. Sending a woman around to these hot points must be going a long way to insult these countries. Especially one with a snarl. They are afraid of dogs.

[jillan]

6. Condi was one of the major mistakes of this administration.

She had no business being in that position.

Can you say LOSER?

[gateley]

12. She couldn't convince me of anything.

I've said before that I picture her in a meeting furiously taking notes on a steno pad of what she's supposed to say, then rehearsing her talking points on the flight to the destination.

Couldn't agree more - she has no business being in that position.

Not sure the admin would view her choice as a mistake though, I'm sure she's much more pliant and malleable that Powell.

[tanyev]

7. Take her passport away! Send Jimmy Carter!

[sakabatou]

8. Who the hell would want to go over there now?

[Supersedeas]

10. a great idea -- several years too late in the endeavor

[gateley]

11. Biden.

Who, by the way, has been saying all along we should engage the entire region in these discussions.

[maddezmom]

13. US intensifies drive to win Arab support for Iraq despite suspicion

KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - The United States was set Tuesday to intensify its drive to rally wary Arab states behind what it claims is an emerging non-sectarian Iraq less beholden to Iran, a regional and US rival.

Top diplomats from the United States, Iraq, its Arab and non-Arab neighbors, including Iran, were gathered for talks in Kuwait as US forces backing Iraq's Shiite leaders had been drawn into new battles with Shiite militias across the border.

After meetings in Iraq and Bahrain, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held closed-door consultations in Kuwait City to prepare for the expanded neighbours conference that also includes powers like China, Russia, France and Britain.

Rice has said she has no plans to meet here with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki of Iran, which she accuses of contradicting its stated aim of stabilising Iraq by arming the militias.

She was to have meet here late Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a day after visiting him in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone amid the sound of more rocket attacks blamed on the Shiite militias.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080422/wl_afp/iraqusdiplomacygulfmideast_080422025502

[calimary]

15. Nobody wants to do business with you anymore, honey.

They're all just counting down the days til you and your boyfriend and his twisted alter-ego are gone. The world is simply waiting. And looking at its wrist watches every so often. Oh, they'll have you over, alright. They'll invite you to a nice dinner and a lovely, cordial photo-op where everybody smiles for the camera and makes like they're all good friends. In truth, however, they're just waiting you out.

NOBODY's going to bother trying to cut any deals with you, contradicta. They know you're on the way out and ANYTHING "negotiated" with you wouldn't be worth an American dollar next January. You're irrelevant already. Sadly, you're the only one who doesn't realize that yet. Just like you still haven't realized that he's not gonna dump laura and make "an honest woman" of you (besides that being an impossibility anyway, the way you lie, contradicta) no matter how long you wait around for him or pine for him or adore him from afar. You'll be waiting forever, contradicta dear. In the end, you'll be nothing but just another chump who got played, and used, and discarded, by your precious george.

Guys, as long as any of YOU lives, you will NEVER EVER be as pathetic a character as she is.

[Canuckistanian]

16. Is there anything she SUCCEEDS at?

She's an embarrassment to America.

[barbtries]

17. rice fails

where's the news?

[DCKit]

18. "Rice Fails". 'Nuff said. n/t