Iranian Prez Arrives in Iraq

In an historic visit, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Iraq today predicting “a new chapter” for relations between the two countries, despite a tense history and a feud with Baghdad’s American allies. Ahmadinejad, who won’t be protected by US forces during his two-day trip, met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and will sit down with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Ahmadinejad said his trip was designed to deepen “brotherly ties” between the Shiite-led countries, but in Iraq, where his American foe maintains 150,000 troops, it’s also symbolic, Reuters says: No Iranian president has visited Iraq since Saddam Hussein launched a bloody eight-year war against Iran in 1980. “A visit to Iraq without the dictator is a truly happy one,” Ahmadinejad said. (More Iran stories.)