What role should Iran and Syria play in a post war Iraq ?

With the Bush administration being pushed toward a regional resolution to the war in Iraq, the question becomes what role, if any, should Iran and Syria play in a post war Iraq ?



MRB:

I am not quite sure why, after six years of this administration, I keep scratching my head in puzzlement about why it refuses to sit down and discuss serious issues of global consequence with those nations whom we call our enemies. I suppose that talking is too hard and it must seem easier to let things escalate until we have to send troops in to make them see things our way.

That being said I know my comments here will seem just, well, too liberal. Not only do we have to talk to our enemies, in this case Syria and Iran, but it is absolutely mandatory that we do so. Why does something so important, so diplomatic, so crying out for true United States leadership, simply fall on deaf ears of this "stay the bloody, damned course" presidency. Not only do we need to have Syria and Iran involved, but other nations of the region as well. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Turkey share boders with Iraq, some friendlier to us than others, but that is good. Iraq is the region's hub of the wheel and if the hub cracks then the entire wheel crumbles. The United States has gotten this part of the world into this and we have to responsibly and diplomatically ask all of these nations to help solve the future fate of Iraq. I have said before we are from different cultures, literally and figuatively. We, in the West, do not really know how to talk and negotiate with them effectively - obviously - and they must be asked and allowed to sit at OUR table and give us advice about how to solve this issue. Period.

That's not going to be easy for this administration to do, however. In an article in the New York Times ( November 27, 2006), David Sanger writes that the current draft of the 10 member, bi-partisan Iraq Study Group reflects co-chair James Baker III's "public criticism of the administration for its unwillingness to talk with nations like Iran and Syria." But, true to form, in the same article Mr. Sanger quotes Stephen J. Hadley, the president's national security adviser, as saying, "Talking isn't a strategy...The issue is how can we condtion the environment so that Iran and Syria will make a 180-degree turn, so that rather than undermining the Iraqi government, they will support it." What?

Staying the course. What am I missing here?

KJW:

While the Bush administration on one hand would like to encourage stronger relations between Iraq, Iran and Syria, on the other hand the administration is wary about Iran and Syria taking a more active diplomatic role.

State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, recently said, "while there have been positive statements from the Iranian government about wishing to play a positive role in Iraq, those statements haven't been backed up by actions."

He offered a similar assessment of Syria, saying the problem "is not what they say; the problem is what they do. ... What we would like to see the Syrians do is take actions to, among other things, prevent foreign fighters from coming across the border into Iraq."

At the same time, there have been indications that the Iraq Study Group is considering recommendations that could include a broader role in the region for Iran and Syria. The ISG is expected to issue its report soon. One possible recommendation of the ISG is believed to include a recommendation encouraging talks with Iran and Syria while shifting the U.S. military focus away from combat and toward training the Iraqi forces.

However, working with Iran and Syria would require America to enter into a de facto partnership with them. Understandably the Bush administration will be hesitant to enter into such a partnership even though it may have very few other viable options.

Iran tried to organize a summit between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iraqi President Talabani, and Syrian President Assad in a bid to assert its role as the top regional power broker. Iranian officials have said an invitation was extended to Assad, but Syria did not respond. Nevertheless, the Iraqi President traveled to Tehran in response to the invitation to meet with Ahmadinejad. Syria may likely be looking further down the road to potential talks with Washington.

In the past the United States has refused to negotiate with Iran and Syria to seek their support to bring stability to Iraq, accusing both Tehran and Damascus of aiding insurgent groups in Iraq.

Iran is believed to back Iraqi Shiite militias blamed in sectarian killings that have killed thousands this year. Iran has repeatedly denied the allegations. But President Bush is coming under increasing pressure to engage Iran and Syria in a dialogue. The New York Times reported recently that a draft report by the ISG recommends increased regional diplomacy, including holding talks with Iran and Syria.

Former President Jimmy Carter said he would agree with any call for direct U.S. talks with Iran and Syria over Iraq, adding: "This is one of the most counterproductive policies that I've ever known, ... not to talk to the people who disagree with you unless they agree in advance to everything you demand."

Despite the unease of the Bush administration, Iran, and to a somewhat lesser extent, Syria, will need to play a significant role in the stabilization of Iraq. Otherwise, any possible solution is not likely to be long term.

EJS:

The United States of America NEVER negotiates with terrorists. And that's exactly what we are dealing with in Iran and Syria. Iran funds Hezbollah, a know terrorist entity. The corporate offices of many Islamic terror groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, etc., are located in Damascus. Until these countries reform their behavior, they cannot and should not be trusted. Their aims are exactly what we are fighting against; an authoritarian Islamic regime where Sharia law is the rule of the day.

Iran's leaders have stated very bluntly that their goal is to see "a world without Israel and America." Ahmadinejad has said he wishes to "wipe Israel off the map." This type of rhetoric is not exactly conducive to cordial relations. There is also the ongoing issue of Iran's nuclear program, which they refuse to suspend. There are no signs that Iran and Syria want to come to the negotiating table as an honest broker, but instead are still looking to fulfill their own agendas. Iran is trying to flex it's political influence in the Middle East, and is in a conflict with the US over this.

Pundits in this country, including former President Carter, have been calling for the US to abandon it's current policy toward Iran and Syria and engage them. Let us not forget that President Carter's blunders led to much of the current situation in the Middle East. His failure to support the Shah in the 70's led to the Iranian Revolution. President Carter is also the one who certified Hugo Chavez's fraudulent election in Venezuela. I don't believe he should be looked to as a source of expertise in this area. The US should not engage Syria or Iran until they change their behavior and rhetoric, including the VERIFIABLE suspension of the nuclear program and cutting off funding for all terror organizations. The last thing we need is a rebirth of the Persian empire that runs from Iran to Lebanon, which is the route we are heading down if we allow Iran to win the battle of influence in the Middle East.