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The President is Jalal Talabani. The visitor is Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The place is Baghdad. The picture of the two men passing in review the guards of honor is of interest to Iraqis, Arabs, and the region's inhabitants. It is a picture loaded with meaning. The absent man is Saddam Hussein. He rests in the soil of Ouja along with the remains of many things--including the previous balances of power in his country and in the region. No wonder in this case for Rafsanjani to describe the visit as a "blessing from God." Had he been more accurate, he would not have overlooked the favors of George Bush, who resides in his ranch with the remains of many things.
It is not that the Iraqi president is not entitled to welcome his Iranian guest. Or that the Iraqi-Iranian relations must always be governed by rupture, hostility, and mutual blows. Both countries have an actual interest in establishing good neighborhood and cooperation relations that would respect international borders and customs. It is difficult to talk about such relations today. But if it is impossible today for Iraq to be governed against Iran, then it will be impossible for it to be subsequently governed by Iran.
