"Hagel Statement on Announcement that the U.S., Iran and Syria will Attend Talks in Baghdad"

Chuck Hagel has been urging the President and his administration to engage Iraq's neighbors (particularly Iran and Syria) for three years now. The Iraq Study Group Report released at the end of last year said the same thing. It looks like the President has listened. Here is the press release from Chuck Hagel's Senate website:

Hagel Statement on Announcement that the U.S., Iran and Syria will Attend Talks in Baghdad

February 27th, 2007 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Iraqi Foreign Minister announced today that Iran and Syria will join U.S. and British envoys at a meeting in Baghdad next month to seek ways to stabilize Iraq. U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) has repeatedly called for regional talks to address the situation in Iraq. Hagel released the following statement today in reaction to the announcement:

“This is an important diplomatic initiative taken by the Iraqi government. We will not achieve peace and stability in Iraq without a regional framework that includes Iran and Syria. This conference can be an important first step towards creating that framework,” Hagel said.