The United States and Iran End 27-Year Silence Toward Each Other

Iran and the United States broke 27 years of diplomatic silence on Monday so they could talk about the lack of security in Iraq.

This four hour meeting held in Iraq brought together the two major players that will mostly likely determine the fate of an unstable Iraqi country. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said broad agreement over Iraq was made, but Mr. Crocker said Iran must stop giving arms and money to militants attacking U.S. and Iraqi security forces. Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi issued a statement to the Associated Press (AP) indicating both the U.S. and Iran would meet again to further discuss Iraq's situation. However, Mr. Crocker said the U.S. will only meet again with Iran if Iraq invites the U.S. to further talks. Crocker said: .

We don't have a formal invitation to respond to just yet, so it doesn't make sense to respond to what we don't have.

These talks were held in the offices of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Mr. al-Maliki's offices are located in the Green Zone area of Baghdad. The talks between the U.S. and Iran were the first formal talks between these former allies since Washington broke off diplomatic relations with Tehran in 1979. 1979 was the year of the Iranian Islamic Revolution and the seizure of the U.S. Embassy. An AP reporter who viewed this meeting said Mr. Crocker and Mr. Kazemi shook hands.

The American envoy called the meeting "businesslike" and said at "the level of policy and principle, the Iranian position as articulated by the Iranian ambassador was very close to our own.

Mr. Crocker went on to say the United States and Iraq would like Iran to actually put their words into actions by doing on the ground what they are saying during these meetings.

Speaking later at a news conference in the Iranian Embassy, Kazemi said: "We don't take the American accusations seriously.

Crocker did not go into detail about what Mr. Kazemi said during these meetings;however, Crocker did hint that Mr. Kazemi said Iran is willing to train and equip the Iraqi Army and Police in order to establish a new military and police structure in Iraq. Iranian Ambassador Kazemi said U.S. policy to rebuild Iraqi security forces were inadequate to handle the current chaos in Iraq. Mr. Kazemi's statement also places sole blame for this chaos at the feet of Washington. Mr. Kazemi further stated his offer is meant to help Iraq rebuild their security structure that has been totally demolished by the United States. Both sides said this ice-breaking meeting did not delve into the more difficult questions surrounding U.S.-Iranian relations: Iran's nuclear program and more than a quarter century of giving each other the cold shoulder. Iran's Shiite theocracy worries the Bush administration will push for regime change, and act on this impulse, in Tehran the same way they did against Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Meanwhile, the U.S. and their Sunni Arab allies are worried that Iran's growing influence in the Middle East will lead to further Islamic extremism. On top of these worries, Iran is concerned with the U.S. relationship with Israel; and the U.S. is concerned about Iran's open hostility towards Israel. The Americans maintain Iran must stop their Quad force from bankrolling and arming militants in Iraq. The U.S. was aiming this statement directly towards the aid going to Mahdi Army forces led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The U.S. also claims Iran is shipping the deadly explosive formed penetrators, or EFPs. These EFPs are the armor piercing explosives being used in roadside bombs that are killing hundreds of U.S. soldiers. Mahdi Army forces have told AP reporters the Revolutionary Guards are supplying and training Mahdi soldiers. Kazemi and Crocker did not discuss the issue of the seven Iranians captured by U.S. forces in Iraq. Five of these Iranians are still in U.S. custody. Mr. Crocker said these talks were about Iraq only. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki issued a statement from Tehran saying further talks between Iran and the United States are possible, but only if Washington admits its Mid-East policy is a total failure.