Iraq's Talabani to visit Damascus

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is travelling to Syria for the highest level Iraqi visit in many years.
It comes after US President George W Bush accused both Syria and Iran of fuelling Iraq's violence as he announced his new strategy for Iraq.

The US says Syria allows militants to enter Iraq, but Damascus says it is doing all it can to secure its border.

Diplomatic relations between Iraq and Syria were restored last November after a break of more than 20 years.

This visit by President Talabani demonstrates Iraq's balancing act between the United States and a country that Washington prefers to see isolated.

Border security

But between Iraq and Syria, there was also a long period of hostility, going back to the days when the two countries were ruled by competing branches of the Arab nationalist Baath Party.

Syria accused Saddam Hussein's Iraq of inciting riots.

Diplomatic relations were restored just recently, and President Talabani's visit is intended to build on this.

He was in exile in Syria during the Saddam Hussein era.

But beyond the expected signing of agreements, the question is how far the visit will be used to discuss American and Iraqi government concerns about insurgents crossing between Syria and Iraq.

Syria has long said it does all it can to patrol the border.
BBC