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| US warns Iran over arming Iraqis | US warns Iran over arming Iraqis |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The US has called on Iran to stop arming militants in Iraq following the first bilateral public talks between the two countries in almost 30 years. | The US has called on Iran to stop arming militants in Iraq following the first bilateral public talks between the two countries in almost 30 years. |
| US envoy Ryan Crocker said his Iranian counterpart had rejected the charges at the talks in Baghdad, which focused exclusively on Iraq's security. | US envoy Ryan Crocker said his Iranian counterpart had rejected the charges at the talks in Baghdad, which focused exclusively on Iraq's security. |
| Both countries agreed a secure and stable Iraq was in their interests. | Both countries agreed a secure and stable Iraq was in their interests. |
| Mr Crocker said the meeting had been "businesslike" and that the US would consider attending further talks. | Mr Crocker said the meeting had been "businesslike" and that the US would consider attending further talks. |
| As the meeting ended, a car bomb exploded in the centre of Baghdad. | As the meeting ended, a car bomb exploded in the centre of Baghdad. |
| At least 20 people were killed and 70 others wounded by the blast near an important Sunni mosque in the busy commercial area of Sinak, police said. | At least 20 people were killed and 70 others wounded by the blast near an important Sunni mosque in the busy commercial area of Sinak, police said. |
| 'Looking for results' | 'Looking for results' |
| Speaking after the meeting in the Green Zone, Mr Crocker said he had spelt out Washington's concerns about alleged Iranian support for insurgents who have been attacking Iraqi security forces and US-led coalition troops. | Speaking after the meeting in the Green Zone, Mr Crocker said he had spelt out Washington's concerns about alleged Iranian support for insurgents who have been attacking Iraqi security forces and US-led coalition troops. |
| The problem lies in our view with the Iranians not bringing their behaviour on the ground into line with their own policy US envoy Ryan Crocker | The problem lies in our view with the Iranians not bringing their behaviour on the ground into line with their own policy US envoy Ryan Crocker |
| He said the arming of the militia groups, allegedly led by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Quds Force, needed to cease and that the US would "be looking for results". | He said the arming of the militia groups, allegedly led by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Quds Force, needed to cease and that the US would "be looking for results". |
| The US ambassador to Iraq acknowledged that the Iranians too had made their views clear. | The US ambassador to Iraq acknowledged that the Iranians too had made their views clear. |
| "They made the assertion that the coalition presence was an occupation and that the effort to train and equip the Iraqi security forces had been inadequate to the challenges faced," he said. | "They made the assertion that the coalition presence was an occupation and that the effort to train and equip the Iraqi security forces had been inadequate to the challenges faced," he said. |
| Mr Crocker said he had rejected the allegation by making clear that coalition forces were in Iraq at the Iraqi government's request and that the coalition had invested billions of dollars into training and equipping Iraqi forces. | Mr Crocker said he had rejected the allegation by making clear that coalition forces were in Iraq at the Iraqi government's request and that the coalition had invested billions of dollars into training and equipping Iraqi forces. |
| Nevertheless, Mr Crocker said the talks had proceeded "positively" and there had been broad agreement for a "secure, stable, democratic, federal Iraq in control of its own security, at peace with its neighbours". | Nevertheless, Mr Crocker said the talks had proceeded "positively" and there had been broad agreement for a "secure, stable, democratic, federal Iraq in control of its own security, at peace with its neighbours". |
| He also said Washington would consider an Iranian proposal for the setting up of a regular "trilateral security mechanism" incorporating Iraq, Iran and the US to co-ordinate on such matters. | He also said Washington would consider an Iranian proposal for the setting up of a regular "trilateral security mechanism" incorporating Iraq, Iran and the US to co-ordinate on such matters. |
| "A point that I made in the meeting is that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss further meetings - it was to lay out concrete concerns as we did and our expectation that action would be taken on them," he added. | "A point that I made in the meeting is that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss further meetings - it was to lay out concrete concerns as we did and our expectation that action would be taken on them," he added. |
| 'Tense atmosphere' | 'Tense atmosphere' |
| Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, did not hold a news conference after the four-hour talks, but his government later released a copy of the speech he had made. | Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, did not hold a news conference after the four-hour talks, but his government later released a copy of the speech he had made. |
| Iran criticised the US attempt to create a viable Iraqi security force | Iran criticised the US attempt to create a viable Iraqi security force |
| Contrary to suggestions in the Iranian press that he would attack US foreign policy, Mr Kazemi-Qomi instead cited a long list of assistance Iran has given Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein and made a politely worded comment about the poor performance of the coalition authorities. | Contrary to suggestions in the Iranian press that he would attack US foreign policy, Mr Kazemi-Qomi instead cited a long list of assistance Iran has given Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein and made a politely worded comment about the poor performance of the coalition authorities. |
| Later, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the US had sent more than 40 messages to Tehran asking for the meeting in Baghdad. | |
| "I repeatedly asked them to submit a formal request and they eventually did," he told students while on a tour of Isfahan. | |
| Mr Ahmadinejad also said it had been his decision not to broaden the agenda of the talks beyond the security situation in Iraq. | |
| "In their letter they said that they had left the agenda of talks open so that we could negotiate on any other issue, but I gave them a negative response," he said. | |
| There are growing tensions between Washington and Tehran over a range of issues, including Iran's continuing defiance of international pressure and sanctions over its nuclear programme. | |
| The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says that, given the atmosphere of recrimination currently prevailing between Iran and the US, the remarkable thing is that this meeting took place at all. | |
| Iraq says it hopes the meeting will lead to further dialogue, our correspondent says, but the impression is that the Americans will want to see a change in Iranian behaviour before they pursue it much further, our correspondent adds. | Iraq says it hopes the meeting will lead to further dialogue, our correspondent says, but the impression is that the Americans will want to see a change in Iranian behaviour before they pursue it much further, our correspondent adds. |