The United States is due to have new security talks with Iran
next week in Baghdad, Iraq, the Associated Press quoted US
Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker as reporting on Friday.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Crocker said that
Iran continues to play a negative role in training and supplying
insurgents with Iranian-produced weapons and explosives.
But the US envoy noted that he remains open to renewing a
three-way security dialogue with Iranian and Iraqi officials.
The new tripartite meeting could happen in "the next week or
so," Crocker said, "The Iranians may be ready to come back to the
table and if they are, we'll be there."
The United States, which has no diplomatic relations with Iran
since 1980, has offered to hold wide-ranging talks with Iran if
Tehran first ceases its uranium enrichment and reprocessing
activities, which can produce material for nuclear weapons.
For now, the Bush administration has limited its official
high-level dealings with Iran to discussions about Iraq, primarily
in Baghdad.
(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2008)
