US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice refused on Tuesday to make a link between the lack of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the unrest in Iraq, as her British ally Tony Blair had done earlier.
"I think we have to be careful not to say well, if there is an IsraeliPalestinian breakthrough, that will help in Iraq. Iraq is involved in its own struggles," she told journalists on the plane taking her to Vietnam with a stopover at the US base here.
British Prime Minister Blair, the United States' closest ally in Iraq, said Monday he favoured a refocusing of US Middle East policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Rice, who is going to Hanoi to attend the Asia-Pacific Forum, also refused to hold dialogue with Iran or Syria, as the Iraq Study Group co-chaired by former US secretary of state James Baker is expected to recommend, according to the American press.
"In terms of the Iranians, there are -- there have been multiple -- overtures to the Iranians about talking to them first and foremost through the nuclear file. If they would simply suspend their enrichment program, which has been a demand of the international community for more than two years, we could talk and we could talk not just about the nuclear issue but also about other issues."
"I think the question is: is there anything about Iranian behaviour that suggests that they are prepared to contribute to stability in Iraq. And I have to say that at this point I don't see it," Rice said.
Turning to Syria, she went on: "I think the question is what is it that Syria is doing? And right now, it appears to have aligned itself with the forces of extremism."
Rice said she had no problem about talking to enemies of the United States, explaining: "It is not an issue of whether you talk to somebody. I will talk to anybody, anywhere, anytime, under the right circumstances if I think we can make progress. I am not afraid to talk to anyone."