US and Iran Agree to Hold More Talks on Stabilising Iraq

The US and Iran confirmed yesterday that they are to hold a second round of talks on the future of Iraq, in a rare sign of positive engagement.

Against a backdrop of tension between Washington and Tehran over Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program, the two sides are planning to meet in Baghdad to discuss ways of stabilizing Iraq.

They met at the end of May for the first time since the US broke off diplomatic relations in 1980. The Iranian foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, confirmed yesterday that a second meeting had been agreed. He said the meeting was at the request of the Americans because of the problems their troops were facing.

The US state department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said a date had not been set although the Iraqi government said it could be as early as this weekend. Mr McCormack downplayed the Iranian suggestion that the meeting had been requested by the Americans.

Over the past two years the US has been accusing Iran with increasing frequency of encouraging insurgents fighting American troops in Iraq.

Although both Iran and the US insist the talks will be limited to Iraq and not to the other issues of tension between the two countries, success could open the way for wider negotiations. The talks will be held between the US ambassador, Ryan Crocker, and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi. Hopes that the talks might be upgraded to the level of the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and Mr Mottaki failed to materialize.

The US military headquarters in Baghdad yesterday announced the arrest of what it claimed was the highest-ranking Iraqi in the group al-Qaida in Mesopotamia.

Brigadier-General Kevin Bergner told a press conference that Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4 and claimed he was a close associate of the alleged leader of the group, Abu Ayub al-Masri, who was born in Egypt. Gen Bergner also claimed that Mr Mashhadani acted as a link between Mr Masri and Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

After a late-night sitting aimed at putting pressure on the Republicans, the Democrats failed in their latest attempt to push a bill through the Senate to set an April deadline for withdrawal of US troops. The Democrats secured a majority, 52 to 47, but needed 60 votes in the 100-member chamber.