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US-Iran talks on Iraq 'positive' US warns Iran over arming Iraqis
(about 3 hours later)
The first bilateral public talks between the US and Iran for almost 30 years have been described by the US as "positive" and "businesslike". 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.
Iraq's security was the only item on the agenda at the talks in Baghdad. 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 afterwards there was broad agreement on policy towards Iraq but that "Iranian action on the ground" was needed next. Both countries agreed a secure and stable Iraq was in their interests.
He had called on Tehran to stop arming militants in Iraq but said his Iranian counterpart had rejected the charge. Mr Crocker said the meeting had been "businesslike" and that the US would consider attending further talks.
Mr Crocker said he had spelt out Washington's concerns about alleged Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq that have been attacking Iraqi security forces and coalition troops. As the meeting ended, a car bomb exploded in the centre of Baghdad.
He said the arming of the militia groups needed to cease and that the US would "be looking for results". 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.
The Iranian nation has taken another step forward and, God willing, more giant strides are awaiting Mahmoud AhmadinejadIranian President 'Looking for results'
Mr Crocker said the US and Iran and agreed that "a secure, stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbours" was in both their interests. 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.
However, he went on to say that there was a clear contradiction between Iran's policy and its behaviour "on the ground". 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 he also rejected statements by the Iranians criticising the presence of US-led forces in Iraq and the attempt to create a viable Iraqi security force. 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 pointed out that the troops were in Iraq at the invitation of the country's government and that the US was training and equipping "an increasingly capable set of Iraqi security forces". 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.
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".
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.
'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 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.
In the run-up to the talks, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the US government as colonial, bullying, arrogant and expansionist.
He said the aim of the meeting was to remind the American "occupiers" that they had a legal responsibility to bring security to the country.
The Iranian-US meeting was the first formal bilateral meeting since the two countries broke off relations in 1980, after the Iranian revolution and the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.The Iranian-US meeting was the first formal bilateral meeting since the two countries broke off relations in 1980, after the Iranian revolution and the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.
The US has backed away from the conditions it first set for such a meeting, says the BBC's Paul Reynolds - which included support from Tehran for the government in Baghdad.
'Soured relations'
Ahead of the meeting, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told state radio that the fact the US now wanted to talk to Iran about Iraq was a sign of progress.
Crocker and Qomi represented their countries in Baghdad"The Iranian nation has taken another step forward and, God willing, more giant strides are awaiting," he said.
Iran's position on the talks was been dictated by the country's ultimate authority - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He said the aim of the meeting was to remind the American "occupiers" of Iraq that they had a legal responsibility to bring security to the country.
Ayatollah Khamenei says the US government is colonial, bullying, arrogant and expansionist.
The talks come at a time of 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 talks come at a time of 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 nuclear issue was not discussed at these talks. The BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says that, given the tense atmosphere of recrimination currently prevailing between Iran and the US, the remarkable thing is that this meeting took place at all.
Another source of tension has been the recent arrests in Iran of a number of Iranian Americans. Tehran accuses them of spying and says US intelligence is trying to undermine the Islamic authorities. 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.
On Sunday, Tehran said it had uncovered several spy networks run by the US and its allies inside Iran and summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests in Iran, for an explanation.
The White House said it did not confirm or deny allegations about intelligence matters.