US denies new Iraq talks with Iran

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Associated Press

BAGHDAD - Iraqi and Iranian officials said that the U.S. and Iran planned to meet Thursday for their fourth discussion on Iraqi security, but the U.S. said no meeting was planned.

Iran's state news agency, IRNA, reported that the Iranian delegation for the talks arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday. It quoted the delegation chief, Reza Amiri Moghaddam, as saying that the talks with the U.S. would take place the following day.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran attaches great significance to the Iraqi security and will spare no efforts to materialize this objective," Moghaddam was quoted by IRNA as saying.

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh said that the fourth round of U.S.-Iran discussions, which are brokered by Iraq, would begin "this week." He was not more specific, but an Iraqi government official said the session would take place Thursday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

In Washington, however, a State Department spokesman said no talks were scheduled for Thursday.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080305/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_iran_us

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So Iraq and Iran say Iran has a scheduled meeting with the US, but the WH denies said meeting is scheduled to take place.

This is odd.