US may consider bilateral talks with Iran

WASHINGTON: The US says it could be willing to hold groundbreaking bilateral talks with Iran, as it calls on Tehran and Damascus to help Iraq hours ahead of a regional
security conference in Baghdad.

Outgoing US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad on Friday suggested the US could be willing to hold bilateral talks with longtime foe Tehran.

Ahead of regional security talks in Baghdad, the US diplomat said that "if we judge that a bilateral meeting (with Iran) would be useful, and we will be prepared to do so ... we
would be willing to do that.

"We have said for some time that if it is useful, we will be willing to sit down with the Iranians, and talk about Iraq," Khalilzad added.

"I've had this authority for about a year, but we have not been able to do it, either because the timing has been such, when we have felt it was not going to be useful, or the
Iranians have been unwilling to participate," he said.

Today's talks in Baghdad will constitute a rare meeting between representatives of Iran and Syria and those from the US.

Washington has had no diplomatic relations with Tehran for decades, and relations with Damascus have been severely strained over Syria's alleged meddling in Lebanon.

President George W. Bush, travelling in Sao Paulo, Brazil, earlier said he hoped Iran and Syria will support the Iraqi government and warned them against stirring unrest in
Iraq.