FORTHCOMING VISIT OF IRANIAN AHMADINEJAD TO BAGHDAD UPSETS U.S.

Juan Cole points me to this important story in Gulf News by Basil Adas on a forthcoming visit by Iranian president Ahmadinejad to Baghdad. Perhaps a purpose of Bush's visit to Iraq today is to convince Al Maliki not to host the Iranian president disliked by Bush. Apparently, Ahmadinejad would like to reciprocate Maliki's recent visit to Teheran by meeting Maliki in Baghdad.

Writes Adas in Gulf News:

"Sources in Dawa Party, headed by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, revealed that Americans have notified Al Maliki about their reservations towards Ahmadinejad's expected visit."

One of the intended consequences of this forthcoming meeting will be to show the Americans that Iraq is a sovereign state that conducts foreign policy on its own initiatives, and not a mere province of the United States. Also for Iran, it is a way to throw sand in the eyes of Bush.

Adas reports:

"Sattar Al Khalidi, a researcher in Iranian affairs, told Gulf News: "Al Maliki's recent visit to Iran was supposed to touch upon all matters concerning the two countries but there is an urgent Iranian desire for Ahmadinejad's visit to Baghdad and I think they seek to provoke Americans out of it. As for some elements in Iraqi government, they believe that Ahmadinejad's visit is a moral achievement of Al Maliki's government apart from being an irritation to the Americans.""