US President George W. Bush's warning on Monday over Iran and Syria defied a drumbeat of calls at home and abroad for the US to engage with its two foes.
From the UK to Australia and in the political echo chamber in Washington, the notion of diplomatic outreach to Damascus and Tehran is being mooted as part of a possible fresh strategy to end Iraq's torment.
On Monday, however, Bush signaled that his looming "lame duck" status and loss of allies in Congress would not cause him to back down.
Iran must halt its nuclear program and Syria must get its hands off Lebanon and stop shielding extremists before talks can begin, Bush said as he met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The US accuses Syria and Iran of fomenting instability in Iraq and allowing insurgents to cross their borders.
Renewed debate on Iran and Syria arose as the congressionally mandated Iraq Study Group, charged with coming up with a new approach to ending the spiralling violence in the country, met Bush on Monday before drawing up recommendations.
Veteran co-chair James Baker has said Washington should not be afraid to talk to its enemies, prompting speculation the group will endorse contacts with Iran and Syria on ending violence in Iraq.
Some observers say the group may suggest de-linking Iraq from Washington's nuclear showdown with Tehran.
The State Department said on Monday a previous effort to discuss Iraq with Iran through its ambassador in Baghdad "didn't work out."
The high price Iran and Syria might demand for help in Iraq is likely to seriously complicate any talks, but foreign policy analyst Jon Alterman said he expected a US-Iran dialogue within the next two years, despite current political posturing on both sides.
"Complete chaos in Iraq is not in Iran's interests; complete American success in Iraq is not in Iran's interest either, but we are much closer to the former than the later," said Alterman, who works for the Center For Strategic and International Studies.
Some analysts believe that Tehran might require an end to pressure on its nuclear drive, while Syria could ask for more of a free hand in Lebanon in return for helping in Iraq. Either demand could force a retreat by the Bush administration.
Top Democrats, emboldened by last week's rout of Republicans in the congressional elections, are among those recommending a new approach.
Future Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Joseph Biden called on Sunday for a conference of regional powers similar to the Dayton talks that brought peace to former Yugoslavia.
Some observers interpreted last week's appointment of Robert Gates as the US defense secretary as a sign of a possible softening of US tone on Iran and Syria, as he once advocated dialogue with Tehran.
Britain's Observer newspaper reported on Sunday that British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Bush in a phone call it was important to involve Syria and Iran in the attempt to reduce violence in Iraq.
Earlier this month, Blair sent a senior official to Syria to assess its readiness to play a "constructive" role in the Middle East, sparking speculation about a possible new diplomatic opening.
But Blair toed the US line on Monday, though he did say Iran should be given a "strategic choice": the country should help the Middle East peace process, not hinder it; it should stop supporting terrorism in Lebanon and Iraq; and it should abide by, not flout, international obligations.
Kehinde Sanni spends his days smoothing out dents and repainting scratched bumpers in a modest autobody shop in Lagos. He has never left Nigeria, yet he speaks glowingly of Burkina Faso military leader Ibrahim Traore. “Nigeria needs someone like Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso. He is doing well for his country,” Sanni said. His admiration is shaped by a steady stream of viral videos, memes and social media posts — many misleading or outright false — portraying Traore as a fearless reformer who defied Western powers and reclaimed his country’s dignity. The Burkinabe strongman swept into power following a coup in September 2022
TRUMP EFFECT: The win capped one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Canadian political history after the Conservatives had led the Liberals by more than 20 points Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday pledged to win US President Donald Trump’s trade war after winning Canada’s election and leading his Liberal Party to another term in power. Following a campaign dominated by Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats, Carney promised to chart “a new path forward” in a world “fundamentally changed” by a US that is newly hostile to free trade. “We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons,” said Carney, who led the central banks of Canada and the UK before entering politics earlier this year. “We will win this trade war and
‘FRAGMENTING’: British politics have for a long time been dominated by the Labor Party and the Tories, but polls suggest that Reform now poses a significant challenge Hard-right upstarts Reform UK snatched a parliamentary seat from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labor Party yesterday in local elections that dealt a blow to the UK’s two establishment parties. Reform, led by anti-immigrant firebrand Nigel Farage, won the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby in northwest England by just six votes, as it picked up gains in other localities, including one mayoralty. The group’s strong showing continues momentum it built up at last year’s general election and appears to confirm a trend that the UK is entering an era of multi-party politics. “For the movement, for the party it’s a very, very big
SUPPORT: The Australian prime minister promised to back Kyiv against Russia’s invasion, saying: ‘That’s my government’s position. It was yesterday. It still is’ Left-leaning Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday basked in his landslide election win, promising a “disciplined, orderly” government to confront cost-of-living pain and tariff turmoil. People clapped as the 62-year-old and his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, who visited his old inner Sydney haunt, Cafe Italia, surrounded by a crowd of jostling photographers and journalists. Albanese’s Labor Party is on course to win at least 83 seats in the 150-member parliament, partial results showed. Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s conservative Liberal-National coalition had just 38 seats, and other parties 12. Another 17 seats were still in doubt. “We will be a disciplined, orderly
RSS