Turkey and Syria begin to talk, demine mutual border. Iran's foreign minister visits Iraq after 25 year absence.

[yllus]

Turkish premier hints at bigger role in Iraq

[Turkish Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan] also said Turkey was warily trying to exert influence on Syria, with which it has had difficult relations for four decades.

"Turkey cannot in any way approve of oppressive regimes," Erdogan said, "and at this point there is nothing Turkey can take as an example from Syria, while there is lots that Syria can take as examples from Turkey."

The two countries are sharing intelligence for the first time and dismantling mines along their 600-mile border, he said, and Damascus is starting to give information about fighters hiding in Syria who belong to the Kurdistan Workers Party, which is outlawed in Turkey.

Iran foreign minister visits Iraq

The arrival of Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi underscored changes in the political landscape that many Iraqis find dizzying: Almost 25 years after Iraq and Iran fought an eight-year war that left a million people dead, the government in Baghdad is now led by officials with close personal, religious and political ties to Iran's ruling Shiite ayatollahs.

On a day of deepening sectarian violence, Kharrazi held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, President Jalal Talabani and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. He vowed that his country was committed to supporting Iraq's political and economic reconstruction and would do all it could to improve security.

"We believe securing the borders between the two countries means security to the Islamic Republic of Iran," Kharrazi said.

Top EU envoys visit Iraq pledging new partnership

A top-level European Union delegation has visited Baghdad, voicing hope for a new partnership with Iraq now that divisions over the US-led war were healed.

The surprise EU visit, aimed at preparing for a conference on Iraqi reconstruction in Brussels on June 22 bringing together representatives from 85 countries, was hailed as "historic" by EU leaders.

"In Europe the war divided us, but now we are unified to help Iraq," Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said after talks with Talabani.

"Yes, the Iraq war did divide Europe but there is a new spirit and we have put the past behind us to work for this new future of Iraq," said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, whose country is the main US ally in Iraq.

I mentioned something about taking the fight to the middle of the problem area a few months ago and its potential payoff. Interesting how we have a multitude of nations that have thinly veiled or outrightly declared wars on each other starting to talk about mutual concerns, isn't it?

Syria has realized that harbouring and letting terrorists cross over its borders won't be taken lightly, so they're firming up. Turkey is hoping rather optimistically for EU membership, and realizes that with Syria's new attitude now's a perfect time to mend some fences. Iran is quick to make an about-face and jockey for position (economically and perhaps even politically) in a reconstructed Iraq.

The threat of the likes of Al Qaeda, an enemy to them all, and their own citizens somewhat restored hopes for true democracy after bearing witness to the U.S.'s invasion of Iraq are culminating in some very positive changes in the Middle East. What do you guys think?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

:thumbsup:

CsG

 

[surreal1221]

Maybe. . . but I doubt it.

 

[TRUMPHENT]

I think it qualifies as lip service. Turkey getting cooperation from Syria to wage war with Kurdish seperatists sounds like a sweetheart deal for the status quo in the region.

You may want to consider how closely Iraq's neighbors have watched the US military wear itself out. Drawing down troops from Korea, its reserve in Hawaii, the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, every National Guard and Reserve unit hasn't secured Iraq or Afghanistan.

To get to the heart of the problem, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Iran and Egypt would have to be militarily destroyed and occupied. Guess the odds of that happening.