Iranian Leader to Visit to Iraq

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will make a historic trip to Iraq sometime before March 19, state media reported Monday, the first such visit ever by an Iranian leader.

The two neighbors fought a ruinous eight-year war in the 1980s that left an estimated 1 million people killed or wounded. But relations have improved since the 2003 ouster of Saddam Hussein's regime.

"God willing, the trip by Ahmadinejad to Iraq will be done by the end of Iranian year on March 19," the Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying.

The exact date of Ahmadinejad's visit would be announced days before the trip.

Earlier this month, Iraqi officials said Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who has close relations with Iran's ruling clergy, invited Ahmadinejad to visit.

Iran is overwhelmingly Shiite Muslim, and Iraq has a roughly 60 percent Shiite majority that emerged from decades of marginalization to become the country's dominant force after Saddam's ouster.

Many of Iraq's senior Shiite politicians lived in exile in Iran during the 35-year rule of Saddam's Sunni-dominated Baath party, and maintain ties to Iran's leadership.

The U.S. military says Iran is arming, training and bankrolling Shiite militiamen in Iraq who have used Iranian-supplied roadside bombs to kill hundreds of American soldiers. Iran denies the charge.

Since May, Iran and the U.S. have held three rounds of ambassador-level talks on security in Iraq. IRNA quoted Mottaki as saying Monday that Iran was interested in scheduling a fourth round of talks soon.

Comments

[fussygorilla]

Good! This will be an extra long thorn on the side of the Zionists both in Israel and in U.S. let them fry in their own hatred and anger.
Two muslim neighbors SHOULD get along fine, Just keep U.S. out.

[Mike169]

I wonder if they'll welcome him with flowers and parades like they did us?

[zizyphus]

Why wouldn't Iraq enlist the help of Iran to drive out the occupying forces- the US? The people of Iraq stated loudly that they want the US out of Iraq as soon as possible, so they may have a chance at democracy.

[StuCop]

iran sez...

thank you bushie...

we couldn't defeat saddam but you did it for us...you've made us more powerful in the region and al qaeda too...

in fact you've made iraq an open training ground for us...

thank you mr. bush!

[Tasies]

Looking foward to The Greater Shite Republic of Iran, or the "Democratic" Republic of Bloody Back Whipping, or Fundamentalist Shite Republic of Greater Islam with the Grand Ronald Reagan Military base as its capital. A true upgrade from Saddam's Bathist Secularist Dictatorship, as the Bushies would like us to believe.

[forpeace]

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Iraq Invaded Iran on September 1980, that was an Imposed War by Iraq, more than a million Iranian and Iraqi soldiers as well as civilians died with many more injured and wounded.

This trip is a positive gesture from Iranians's part.

So Bush stay away from this, in another word do NOT Interfere!

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[Camarosc35]

How nice that we propped up the Shia in Iraq while at the same time denounce the Iranian regime.

[Citizen54]

See... Bush IS a uniter.

[forpeace]

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Good for both Iran and Iraq.

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[Moshe]

"Iranian Leader to Visit Iraq"

Iran will continue to expand its presence in Iraq.

When I was young, I once heard a wise, elderly rabbi say this: Through our own actions, we often cause what we seek to avoid.

It seemed paradoxical, but over the years, I have seen that it is often true.

But I have also seen that the underlying cause of this parodox was that our actions were the result of conflicting or impure motivations.

We must always do the right thing. But we must also do it for the right reasons.

The invasion of Iraq was the wrong thing done for the wrong reasons, with motivations as impure as they could be, greed and a lust for power falsely portrayed as patriotism.

Any surprise that the result has been an historical disaster that has mortally wounded our Nation's reputation in the World and threatens to bankrupt and ruin our nation?

So after all the tragic spilling of American blood and treasure to "save" Iraq and stop Iran, the result will be that much of Iraq will fall under the control of Iran.

Do the right thing for the right reasons and you will generally succeed.

Do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons, you will likely reap trouble in time.

Do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons, you are doomed.

[jesuswazasocialist]

Ahmadinejad arrives American forces grab and detain him and then force him to stop his nuclear program, yeah that should work.

[fumes]

good on talabani for the invitation, and good on ahmadinejad for accepting. they'll be just fine, and even better when we leave. i bet they can't wait. JFK DEMOCRAT ATHEIST FOR DR RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT 2008!!!

[bronceye]

I guess that this could be good. We must wait and be told by george and weezy if it is, indeed, a good or bad thing.

[waitomo]

What will Cheney do to prevent this trip? Shoot his plane down? Stop the bus at the border? Make ridiculous claims about Ahmadinejad being a terrorist who must be stopped? That pinhead created this gargantuan mess and now there is nothing he can really do to clean it up. Welcome to the 21st century, where Iran and China rule and the United States is simply a worldwide joke. Great job, DICK.

[RSU]

How much do you want to bet that he's counting on American protection for his visit?

If he wants to make the trip, the risk should be all his.