Rice opposes direct talks with Iran, Syria over Iraq

Washington, Jan 12 (UNI)US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has virtually rejected lawmakers' plea for a diplomatic dialogue with Iran and Syria on Iraq, insisting that the United States is not prepared to pay a price for such contacts.

In her Senate testimony, Ms Rice said, ''Iran and Syria have made their choice to destabilise, not to stabilise Iraq''.

Ms Rice said the price Iran and Syria would demand for their cooperation was unacceptable. She would expect Iran to seek relief from international pressure over its nuclear programme, while Syria would want to stop the investigation of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, in which Syrian officials have been implicated.

She argued that the Bush administration has a ''regional approach'' to deal with the challenges in Iraq -- ''to work with those governments that share our view of where West Asia should be going.'' She included in that group what she called the ''reformers and responsible leaders'' of the region. But she excluded Iran and Syria.

Ms Rice appeared to be responding to calls from the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and from some members of Congress for the United States to engage Iran and Syria in a diplomatic dialogue about Iraq.

Earlier, Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sounded conciliatory about Iraq during his visit to Damascus last month and said it was worth while to explore areas of common ground.

''But it's awfully difficult to understand, Madame Secretary, why we would not try to engage very directly here with people here who can play a critical role in providing some stability,'' Senator Dodd said.

Mr Dodd who has announced his intention to try for the party's nomination in the 2008 US presidential election, was accompanied by his Senate colleague John Kerry during his Syria visit.

Ms Rice said past US efforts to engage Syria had gotten nowhere and that there was no indication a new approach would turn out differently.

The secretary reiterated the Bush administration's known stand that she is ready to meet her Iranian counterpart any time, anywhere, if Iran met international demands to end uranium enrichment.

President George W Bush, in his broadcast to the nation on Wednesday had criticised Iran and Syria for what he called, allowing terrorists' and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. He also accused Iran of providing material help for attacks on American troops.

National Intelligence Director of John D Negroponte also told Congress yesterday that stability in Iraq would depend in part on persuading Iran and Syria ''to stop the flow of militants and munitions across their borders.'' UNI XC SHB SSC1056