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Wednesday, December 06, 2006
McCain cautions about negotiating with Iran and Syria
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Wednesday he may support U.S. discussions with Iran and Syria but warned such talks cannot be seen as a U.S. endorsement of their interests.

"On the issue of a regional conference with countries in the region, as long as we understand that the interests of Iran and Syria are not the same as ours," McCain told reporters regarding the prospect of negotiating with Iraq's neighbors. "And if the price of negotiations with Iran is acquiescence to their nuclear weapons program, then that's not good enough. And if the price of negotiations with Syria is their control of Lebanon, we cannot accept that."

The Iraq Study Group report released earlier Wednesday recommends the U.S. engage in diplomatic talks with Iran and Syria, in hopes the two countries will put pressure on the Iraqi government to stabilize its political climate.

McCain also renewed his call for more U.S. troops to be sent to the region, despite the Iraq Study Group's recommendations that military troops be withdrawn by 2008.

"It is very obvious the status quo is not satisfactory and the Iraqi Study Group said that," McCain said. "We must have more troops over there; that has to be accompanied by a larger Marine Corps and Army -- maybe 20,000 more Marines and 80,000 more Army troops -- so we can handle whatever's necessary."

-- CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
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