# International conference in Baghdad begins tomorrow **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 9, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-conference-in-baghdad-begins-tomorrow/395286 "2007-03-09T18:15:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-conference-in-baghdad-begins-tomorrow/395286/1 "2007-03-09T18:15:18Z")
PM al-Maliki has invited representative of all governments in the region (and the U.S.) to meet and try to hash things out. Story [here.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/09/AR2007030900643.html) The U.S. has [declared itself open to one-on-one sidebar talks with Syria and Iran](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/08/AR2007030802013.html) during the conference, so long as such talks are limited to the security and future of Iraq. Meanwhile, there’s a lot of [squabbling](http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0700world/tm_headline=top-shiites-clash-with-arabs-over-iraq-conference&method=full&objectid=18728398&siteid=50082-name_page.html) going on between the Shi’a-dominated government and the Sunni-dominated neighbors to Iraq’s west, as to what role the Sunni will play in Iraq, etc. (With all this going on, why is Bush in Brazil instead of Baghdad? Never mind . . .) Any chance this conference will produce anything, well, productive? ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-conference-in-baghdad-begins-tomorrow/395286/2 "2007-03-10T11:58:08Z")
Probably there is some sort of ‘done deal’ already in place. The BBC WorldWide Service has been yakking about Syria and Iran helping out in Iraq for some time. In business you don’t go into a serious meeting without having stitched things up with ‘the opposition’ beforehand - diplomacy is rigged for quiet discussions. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-conference-in-baghdad-begins-tomorrow/395286/3 "2007-03-10T15:05:58Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] … The U.S. has [declared itself open to one-on-one sidebar talks with Syria and Iran](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/08/AR2007030802013.html) during the conference, so long as such talks are limited to the security and future of Iraq. [/QUOTE] This one is almost funny, ir such things can ever be funny. Why would we have separate conversations with Iran and Syria about the security and future of Iraq in the middle of a conference about the security and future of Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-conference-in-baghdad-begins-tomorrow/395286/4 "2007-03-10T18:53:34Z")
But the Iranian ambassador says [there are no one-on-one talks between Iran and the U.S.](http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IBO060226.htm) going on at the conference. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-conference-in-baghdad-begins-tomorrow/395286/5 "2007-03-11T19:02:57Z")
Well, it looks like they decided to have direct U.S.-Iran talks after all. But [they quickly degenerated into a blame war.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/11/AR2007031100111.html) Don’t suppose we could have hoped for anything better . . . ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-conference-in-baghdad-begins-tomorrow/395286/6 "2007-03-11T20:06:38Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Well, it looks like they decided to have direct U.S.-Iran talks after all. But [they quickly degenerated into a blame war.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/11/AR2007031100111.html) Don’t suppose we could have hoped for anything better . . . [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > Your accusations are merely a cover for your failures in Iraq," Iran’s chief envoy Abbas Araghchi shot back, according to an official familiar to the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. Translation: someone has been unofficially authorized to release that. > [@](#): > > The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, only said that American delegates exchanged views with the Iranians “directly and in the presence of others” during talks, which he described as “constructive and businesslike.” Hmm… sounds like someone has been having a few side meetings, indirectly or maybe privately. This sort of stuff reminds me of what a veterinarian said about introducing a new cat - it was: ‘shove them all in the bathroom smothered in sardines or tuna’ I once went for a job with the UK Diplomatic Corps, my interviewer and I both decided within three minutes that I was unsuitable, we then spent a pleasant two hours bitching about how things were wrong. It is not that difficult to let a number of them ‘go native’, they are a better channel of communication than these ar/se sniffing sessions.