Does Bush Need Any More Proof America Doesn't Belong In Iraq?

The governments in the Middle-East are trying to work things out. US troops are just in the way.

Gunmen killed a much-loved Iraqi comedian on Monday as attacks and kidnaps of senior politicians and dozens of ordinary people prompted the defence minister to declare that Iraq was now in a "state of war."

As pressure mounts on U.S. President George W. Bush to try a new tack and allies urge him to approach Syria and Iran to help, Iraq said Syria's visiting foreign minister was about to restore diplomatic relations after a quarter-century of frost and the Iraqi president prepared to visit Iran this week.

The Iraqi government spokesman said talks with Syria's Walid al-Moualem had produced a deal to set up a joint security committee and boost trade and added "The first step is restoring diplomatic relations before the delegation leaves, God willing."

An Iraqi presidential spokesman confirmed that President Jalal Talabani had accepted a long-standing invitation from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and said he would lead a delegation to Tehran on Saturday with a wide-ranging agenda.

He denied reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was invited to the summit.

Damascus also said there were no such plans.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman said such talks had failed in the past to produce "concrete steps" by Syria or Iran, which the United States accuses of backing militants.

On a rare trip by any senior Arab official to U.S.-occupied Iraq, Moualem stressed he was not coming to please Washington: "I am nobody's godfather and am not a mediator for the United States ... I'm not here to please the United States."

I've had my differences with presidents before and dislike too, but I really, honestly hate Bush and all he stands for. His pig-headed unwillingness to negotiate, or talk at all, with others is infuriating. Its the diplomacy, stupid!

Sorry, forgot the link. It really is too easy to forget them.