LONDON -- The turnaround in U.S. policy on Iraq is truly breathtaking. From firmly refusing to talk to Iraq's awkward neighbors, namely Iran and Syria, the Bush administration has suddenly changed its tack. It seems that talking to them -- without of course necessarily agreeing with them -- is now acceptable, and a meeting is now being structured to take place in Baghdad to bring all parties together.
The guest list to this party will also include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, presumably Lebanon and maybe Kuwait. Whether it also includes some of the other bigger powers on the global scene, such as Russia, China and Japan remains to be seen. Certainly it looks like being a big affair.
But the very size and scope of the gathering, and the enormous number of interested parties in the Iraqi imbroglio, spell trouble. The prospect is of a great many different nations all gathered together but not really understanding each other -- more like the Tower of Babel than a purposeful conference aimed at solutions