Syrian Officials and Iraq Study Group Met, Envoy Says

Imad Moustapha

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 — James A. Baker III, the former secretary of state who is now Republican co-chairman of a bipartisan group examining strategic options in Iraq, has met several times with Syrian officials to discuss how they might cooperate with the United States, the Syrian ambassador here said Friday.

“What would it take Syria to help on Iraq?” the Syrian ambassador, Imad Moustapha, recalled Mr. Baker asking Syria’s foreign minister, Walid Muallem, during a meeting in New York at the Waldorf-Astoria in September. Mr. Moustapha described the session as “very promising.”

During a 45-minute interview at the Syrian Embassy on Friday morning, the ambassador said he arranged the New York meeting, also attended by other members of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, at Mr. Baker’s request. Separately, Ambassador Moustapha met twice with the study group in Washington.

The ambassador would not provide specifics, but said he had told the study group “in detail what actual things we can do, and what are the things that we cannot do. We were very candid with each other. We explained to them why it is in our own national interest to try to help stabilize the situation in Iraq.”

Read the rest at the NY Times

Related Link:
Report: Bush plans "last big push"; Baker commission to comply

Related Link:
Rice cool to talks with Iran, Syria

Related Link:
Blair Urges U.S. to Seek Help From Syria and Iran

Related Link:
Bush urges Iran, Syria aid Iraq, Lebanon

Related Link:
Baker panel to seek significant change in policy

Related Link:
U.S. blames Iran, Syria for Iraq violence

Related Link:
Iraq President backs Iran, Syria involvement in peace process