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| Iraq |
| Ahmadinejad plans to visit Iraq |
| 2007-08-20 |
| Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is planning to make his first visit to Iraq, the highest level trip by an Iranian leader since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki invited Ahmadinejad after he visited Tehran earlier this month, the ISNA student news agency reported. "This invitation has been accepted and the preparation is underway. When the trip becomes definite we will make an announcement," Mottaki said in Iran's holy second city of Mashhad late on Sunday. Mottaki visited Iraq himself in May 2006 while Iran's top national security official Ali Larijani travelled to the conflict-torn country in April 2007. However neither Ahmadinejad nor his predecessor Mohammad Khatami have visited Iraq since the toppling of Saddam in 2003. Such a visit would emphasise the strong relations between Tehran and the Shiite-led government in Baghdad, which have caused considerable unease in Washington. The United States accuses Iran of helping supply sophisticated tank-penetrating bombs into Iraq for attacks against US troops and helping train Shiite militias. Iran denies the charges. US President George W. Bush publicly contradicted reported comments by Maliki during his trip that Iran was playing a constructive role in Iraq, saying he would have a "heart-to-heart" with the prime minister. Iraq President Jalal Talabani has been a frequent visitor to Tehran, his last trip coming in June. Maliki made his first official trip to Iran in September 2006, while the first visit by an Iraqi premier since the fall of Saddam was made by Maliki's predecessor, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, in July 2005. Iran and Iraq waged a war between 1980 and 1988 in which around one million people died but the fall of Saddam's Sunni-dominated regime led to a transformation in ties. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #11 heh Steve |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-08-20 20:47 |
| #10 You all just calm down. I know the possibilities are exciting, but I'm sure Admiral Yamamoto has taken the necessary security precautions. Oops, did I say Admiral Yamamoto? Heh. I meant Ahmadinejad. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2007-08-20 19:31 |
| #9 I wonder if Iranian jet pilots know the proper corkscrew approach into Rumsfeld International Airport. Fraught with danger, or so I hear. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2007-08-20 14:18 |
| #8 Give the Saudis a few Iranian EFPs. Let them know the motorcade route. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-08-20 14:10 |
| #7 Princes of Darkness: The Saudi Assault on the West (Hardcover) by Laurent Murawiec (Author) |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2007-08-20 13:54 |
| #6 From Paul's very informative link: In fact, Saudi Arabia has now been financially linked to the Bali nightclub bombings on October 12, 2002, which killed 202 people; the Madrid train bombings on March 11, 2004, which killed 191 people; the Beslan middle school massacre on September 3, 2004, in which 330 hostages were killed (including 186 school children); the London subway bombings on July 7, 2005, which killed 56 people; and the Mumbai train bombings on July 11, 2006, which killed 209 people. While I still maintain that dismantling Iran's nuclear R&D labs and theocratic government remain a top priority, Saudi Arabia is certainly rocketing its way to the top of our Christmas list. For any of you who have not read this (admittedly dated) article about Prince Turki al-Faisal, here's another link to it. The Saudi royals are up to their necks in global terrorism. We really need to appropriate the Ghawar oilfield to compensate ourselves for the expense of fighting Saudi financed terrorism. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-20 13:48 |
| #5 I came across this site which like me believe Saudi Arabia is up there with Iran as being our biggest enemies!!!! www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com |
| Posted by: Paul 2007-08-20 13:16 |
| #4 An IED would be the appropriate reception for his motorcade. Couldn't blame anybody. It would just be "unfortunate". |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2007-08-20 12:50 |
| #3 So who's expected to provide security for this piece of shit? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-08-20 12:43 |
| #2 Yup, Paul. We need to cap this evil midget's ass nine ways to Sunday. Best of all would be to pin it on the Sunnis. Dumptrucks of popcorn wouldn't even begin to address the demand after that. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-20 12:40 |
| #1 Good chance for an 'accident' to happen!!!! |
| Posted by: Paul 2007-08-20 11:57 |