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Rice Rejects Talks on Iraq with Iran, Syria
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&c=747394&l=1009&ctl=155566D:A6F02AD83191E160005F182C72AE46C59574F7DCC14957C0 US secretary of
state says if two countries have interest in stabilizing Iraq 'they
will do it anyway'





Condoleezza Rice U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has rejected
the idea of holding talks with Iran and Syria about reducing violence
in Iraq.

Rice told the Washington Post newspaper she opposes the bipartisan
Iraq Study Group's recommendation to engage the two countries. She
said she will not allow Syria to interfere in Lebanon or let Iran
obtain a nuclear weapon as a price for their help in bringing peace to
Iraq.

The secretary said that if the two countries had an interest in
stabilizing Iraq they would do it anyway. President Bush is to
announce his decision on a new strategy for Iraq in early January.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he favors talks with the United
States. He told an Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, that Washington
should hold talks with his country and Iran on stabilizing the Middle
East.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.