Reply #5: Diplomats: Mideast nations held secret talks on Iraq (No Iran or Syria)

[leftchick]

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200604050925.htm

Cairo, April 5 (AP): Top intelligence officers from several Arab countries and Turkey have been meeting secretly to coordinate their Governments' strategies in case civil war erupts in Iraq and in an attempt to block Iran's interference in the war-torn nation, Arab diplomats said.

The four diplomats said on Tuesday that intelligence chiefs from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and non-Arab Turkey held a series of meetings over the last few weeks to assess the situation in Iraq and work out plans to avoid any regional backlash that may result from sectarian conflict in Iraq.

The diplomats in several Middle Eastern capitals, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Iran and Syria have been excluded from the talks.

"They are part of the problem, not of the solution," said one diplomat whose country is involved in the talks.


http://www.juancole.com/

as Juan Cole points out....

Cole: Sorry folks, you can't actually do anything useful about this problem if you don't involve Syria and Iran.