Baghdad Demands Direct Talks With Iranian Officials

Iraq's Foreign Minister had a first round of talks with UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar this morning.Tariq Aziz immediately took a hard line and demanded direct negotiations with Iran as proof that it is sincere in wanting peace. Iraqi officials fear that Tehran is merely seeking a truce to regroup their forces."We believe the first step for constructive work is face-to-face negotiations between the two parties under the auspices of the UN Secretary General," Tariq Aziz, told reporters."If the Iranians do not accept this, it means they are not sincere about peace," Aziz added. Read full story