Talabani: Sovereign Iraq cannot be prevented from approaching Iran

[sabra]

http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0511216584135900.htm

Talabani: Sovereign Iraq cannot be prevented from approaching Iran

No world country, including the US, would dare stop Baghdad from approaching Tehran since Iraq is an independent state, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was quoted as saying Sunday evening.

The Iraqi TV network, also monitored in this western provincial city, quoted Talabani as saying that since Iraq regained independence and sovereignty through elections and in compliance with
international law, the country is free to make its own decisions regardless of the wishes of other countries.

Referring to certain anti-Iran statements made by some Iraqi officials during press conferences, Talabani stressed that he had ordered Iraqi Interior Minister Falah al-Naquib to be cautious when it comes to anti-Iran statements.

"If we come across any problem with Tehran, we will personally discuss it with the Iranian officials," Talabani said, stressing that he would not want to see Baghdad-Tehran relations damaged by comments made by the press or any other individual.

So when do we attack Iraq? :sarcasm:

[ninkasi]

1. Last week I read Riverbend's diary

She's the blogger of "Baghdad Burning", and has been writing since we invaded in 2003. Now, one of her biggest sorrows, is that Iraq will become a Shia theocracy, with close ties to Iran. She speaks of Iraqi P.O.W.'s from the Iraq-Iran war, of missing relatives, and of the sorrow her family and friends went through,not knowing if relatives were dead, or being held in Iran.

She talks about watching a film when she was young, and the horrible impression it made on her.

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

"The second movie/film/actual footage had no actors- they were real people acting out atrocities. We were visiting Iraq and I was around 8 years old. I walked in on someone, somewhere, watching what I thought at first was news footage because of the picture quality. It showed what I later learned was an Iraqi POW in Iran. I watched as Iranian guards tied each arm of the helpless man to a different vehicle. I was young, but even I knew what was going to happen the next moment. I wanted to run away or close my eyes- but I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the spot, almost as if I too had been chained there. A moment later, the cars began driving off in opposite directions- and the man was in agony as his arm was torn off at the socket."

She goes on to say that millions of Iraqis saw that film, and were affected by that war.
Now she says this...

"The agony of the long war with Iran is what makes the current situation in Iraq so difficult to bear- especially this last year. The occupation has ceased to be American. It is American in face, and militarily, but in essence it has metamorphosed slowly but surely into an Iranian one."

So, congratulations, Bush. You've not only killed tens of thousands of the Iraqis you claimed to want to liberate, but you will leave them with a country many will find extremely painful and difficult to live in.

You are destroying two countries, America and Iraq. The first president in American history to try to destroy his own country. What an accomplishment.

[Brooklyn Michael]

2. "Be careful what you wish for"....

...seems to be the operative phrase here.

(*Note* - Your tagline, "So when do we attack Iraq?", is priceless...and, I'm scared to say, probably not as sarcastic as we'd like it to be.)

[Tempest]

3. Talabani better stay away from small planes

The neo-cons will not be happy about this development.