Rice, Saudi king discuss Iraq, Israel-Palestinian conflict
Saudi official: Iran has asked Saudi Arabia to help ease tensions between Tehran and Washington.
By ReutersU.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held talks with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on violence in neighboring Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The talks were also expected to tackle the standoff between the West and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program.
"All developments on the regional and international arenas were discussed, foremost of which was the Palestinian issue and the situation in Iraq," the official Saudi Press Agency said of the late Monday night talks.
A Saudi official said on Monday Iran had asked Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, to help ease tensions between the Islamic Republic and the United States, as Washington held out the possibility of "engagement" with Tehran if it changed tack in Iraq.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani delivered a letter from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah ahead of Rice's visit to Riyadh.
The official, who declined to be named, said Iran wanted Saudi leaders to relay a goodwill message to Washington. But the official gave no details.
Tensions have been rising over Iran's role in Iraq and its nuclear programme. There has also been growing criticism in Iran of Ahmadinejad's approach of railing publicly against the West that more moderate politicians say has stoked fears abroad.
U.S. forces are holding five Iranians after raiding an Iranian government office in the Iraqi city of Arbil last week - the second such operation in Iraq in the past few weeks.
President George W. Bush has vowed to stop what he said was the role of Shiite Muslim Iran in fomenting violence in Iraq.
Bush is sending about 20,000 more U.S. troops to Iraq to help stamp out an insurgency and sectarian bloodshed between Iraq's Shi'ite majority and its Sunni Arab minority, once dominant under Saddam Hussein.
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Bush looks more pissed then paniced. Rice always looks very serene and confident. Are you jealous?
What exactly do you want her to do for you? She is not in charge of any gov in the ME. And if she has no credibility in Arab World it is because she is female and nothing more. We do know Muslim opinions of women.
I've read several of your post today, and I agreed with all of them. All my salaams to you.
This woman is off on another jaunt which is being payed for by the American taxpayer. What the hell is she doing? She has absoltutely no credibilty in any of the Arab capitals because they know she is a deceptive deceiver who talks one line and does nothing. Has she come out and condemned Israel's continuuing colonial policy and the new settlement that is being constructed? How does she reconcile this with her purported support of a viable Palestinian state? She is a useless as is the one she talks for, less dangerous, but just as useless and without any credibilty as as an objective broker.
Palestinians in attendance at the meeting between Ms Rice and Mr Puppet Abbas had this, among many other things, to say: "Olmert had vowed to release $100 million in Palestinian funds frozen by Israel after Hamas became the government last March. Olmert also promised to remove some of the more than 400 roadblocks inside the Palestinian territories. Israel has so far failed to deliver on either promise, according to Palestinian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity." As well, a senior PLO official, who sat in on meetings between the two says: "She acts like a school headmistress, telling her student in a commanding tone to do this, or don't do that." Further: Abbas was also miffed at the public discussion in the U.S. of Bush Administration plans to secure $86 million from U.S. Congress to arm forces loyal to Abbas for a looming battle with Hamas. According to one insider, Abbas had wanted this kept secret. "This has put us in more trouble with Hamas," griped one Abbas aide.
Saudia does the same against Iran ,
During its time in power, the Isalmic Republic of Iran never caved in to so-called mostrous west. i believe it will not do it in the future. "puppets" do it fast and without being asked, but not I. R. of Iran
http://www.says-it.com/condi/
Yes, and George W. Bush is just about to take up the same subject with his dog, Barney. What a nonsensical article title. Does anybody really imagine that either GWB or his little cutie, Condi, carry any international political weight whatsoever, other than as personal carrier pigeons? Do they have problems with phone taps or what? Or perhaps they only feel significant when rushing about the planet in a panic?