R E G I O N: Talks with Iran can help United States in Iraq

* US national security adviser considers Tehran’s offer for talks a ploy

WASHINGTON: The apparent coming of talks between the United States and Iran and the convening of the first session of a new Iraqi parliament could give the Bush administration a long-needed lift.

The recent inaugural session of Iraq’s parliament is a positive step towards the new Iraq that President George W Bush envisions as he pursues a war not popular with a large segment of the American populace. Progress towards forging a unity government representing all of Iraq’s sects would be a boost for a country that has been veering close to civil war.

US intelligence agencies strongly suspect Iran has been arming Iraqi Shiite militia and some insurgent groups. If talks with Iran happen, the administration would try to persuade the Islamic republic to curb its activities with the argument that instability in Iraq could envelop the area, including Iran.

For Bush, whose dive in the polls reflects Americans’ eroding confidence in his Iraq strategy, progress on either front would be welcome relief, especially with elections for control of Congress just eight months away.

There are troublesome developments as well. The eruption of violence among Kurds in northern Iraq poses new security problems for already strained Iraqi forces, particularly if Islamic radicals were behind the outbreak in Halabja. Indications are the stone-throwing Kurds were registering displeasure with their own leaders, however, and not threatening conflict with other Iraqi groups.

The disorder distracts from an aggressive US-Iraqi military campaign against insurgents in a Sunni Arab-dominated area outside Samarra, where the bombing of a Shiite shrine three weeks ago ignited the most recent siege of violence.

Referring to the volatile situation in the country, UN envoy Ashraf Qazi said on Friday that it has deteriorated since he took up the post 19 months ago.

Qazi, speaking at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, said Iraq was not on the brink of civil war. Nevertheless, he described the situation as serious and said it “could lead to a breakdown of order” if left unchecked.

Bush administration officials are convinced that Iran is playing a mischievous role in Iraq, especially in arming militias with explosives and other weapons.

They said on Friday that Tehran’s willingness to have face-to-face discussions with US officials about Iraq could be an effort to divert attention from an approaching confrontation at the United Nations over Iran’s nuclear programme.

“The concern, therefore, is that it is simply a device by the Iranians to try and divert pressure that they’re feeling in New York,” White House national security adviser Steven Hadley said.

“Obviously, this is something that we and those who are working with us on these issues will not let happen,” he added.

Even as the standoff continues over Iran’s nuclear programme, the administration has been seeking talks with Tehran narrowly limited to its intervention in Iraq. Despite administration scepticism, some officials want to try setting up the talks, at the very least to avoid criticism in case Iran turns out to be serious about seeking a solution in Iraq.

Ruled out by US officials is discussion either of any attempt by Iran to gain a political foothold in Iraq or of the nuclear dispute, which could soon come before the UN Security Council.

The talks, which would be held in Baghdad, are not the first between the United States and Iran even though the two foes have not had diplomatic relations since 1979. They have met in the past for cooperative efforts to stabilise Afghanistan and counter narcotics, for instance. ap

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