Iraqi President Jalal Talabani began his second visit to Iran
late Monday for talks with Iranian officials in seeking Iran's help
in calming surging violence in Iraq.
"We need Iran's comprehensive help to fight terrorism, restore
security and stabilize Iraq," Talabani told reporters at Iran's
Presidential Office.
In response, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pledged to
support Talabani's request, saying "we will help our Iraqi brothers
with all we can to implement and reinforce security in Iraq."
Talabani said that his visit to Tehran aimed to "negotiate the
expansion of ties in all fields," adding that the talks "will
address issues of politics, commerce, oil, culture and security in
particular."
The Iraqi president will meet with Iran's Expediency Council
Chairman Hashemi Rafsanjani later in Monday and Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday.
In November 2005, Talabani held a historic meeting with
Ahmadinejad as the first Iraqi president to visit Iran in 40 years.
Iran also invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for talks, but
Syria did not respond.
Talabani had planned to visit Iran on Saturday, but delayed his
trip after a huge attack on Shiites in Iraq's Sadr City killed over
200 people and caused a three-day curfew in one of the war's
worst-ever days of bloodshed.
Since Iran is believed by Western countries to wield great
influence on Iraqi Shiite military groups, observers have noted
that Talabani's Iran tour will seek a call for peace from Iraq's
massive Shiite neighbor.
However, the United States has said it welcomes any talks that
could help stabilize Iraq's violence situation, but doubted the
effect of a meeting between Iran, Iraq and Syria.
After his midterm elections defeat, US President George W. Bush
has been under increasing domestic pressure to forge ties with Iran
and Syria to calm the situation in Iraq.
Iranian President Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that he would
assist the United States to stabilize the current situation in Iraq
if Washington changed its "bullying" policy toward Iran.
However, the offer appeared to be spurned by the US. "The
Iranians have made comments similar to this in the past. There's
nothing new there," said Julie Reside, US State Department
spokeswoman, on Sunday.
(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2006)
