The chaos in Iraq has put mounting pressure on both Bush and al-Maliki to try to find a way to stem the violence.
The meeting will come after Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's visit to Tehran on November 25-26 for a summit with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
In Baghdad on November 21, Iraq and Syria restored diplomatic relations after a 24-year rift, a move Iraq hopes can help stem what it says is Syrian support for militants and encourage other Arab states to rally to its aid.
(Reuters, AFP, AP)
Iraq And Iran
Iranian Shi'a protesting the Golden Mosque Bombing in Iraq on February 24
WHAT IS GOING ON? On March 8, RFE/RL's Washington office hosted a roundtable discussion on relations between Iraq and Iran. Although most analysts agree that Iran has been actively involved in Iraq since the U.S.-led military operation to oust former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, they continue to debate the nature, extent, and intent of that involvement.
The RFE/RL briefing featured WAYNE WHITE, former deputy director of the U.S. State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research's Office of Analysis for the Near East and South Asia, and A. WILLIAM SAMII, RFE/RL's regional analyst for Iran and editor of the "RFE/RL Iran Report."
LISTEN
Listen to the complete RFE/RL briefing (about 75 minutes):Real Audio Windows Media
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