New Iran-U.S. talks on Iraq imminent: Hakim
Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN — Iraqi Islamic Council Chairman Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim has said that Iranian and U.S. officials are to hold their fourth round of talks in coming days over the security situation in Iraq, Radio Sawa said on its website.

In his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington on Friday, Hakim underlined Iran’s positive measures to help reinforce security in Iraq.

He stated that his talks with Rice focused on Iraq’s security, national reconciliation, and Iraq’s reconstruction and issues related to neighboring countries.

Hakim asserted that Iran plays a positive role in establishing security in Iraq, adding, “There are documents proving that Iran has supported Iraq.”

The Iranian and U.S. ambassadors to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi and Ryan Crocker, met on August 6 in Baghdad for their third round of security talks. The first and second rounds of negotiations were held in Baghdad on May 28 and July 24.

The negotiations have so far led to the establishment of a trilateral security committee between U.S., Iran, and Iraq to investigate issues such as support for militias and al-Qaeda in Iraq.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=158263