Rice Asks Iran to Restart Talks

SYDNEY, Australia — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today urged Iran to resume negotiations over its nuclear program and called the country a “central banker of terrorism.”

Speaking after a meeting with her Australian counterpart Alexander Downer, Rice did not elaborate on her allegations of financial links between terrorists and the government in Tehran.

Rice also said she expected Iraq to form a viable government and return to stability within a couple of years.

“I think there is a very good chance that the Iraqi people, with the support of their coalition partners, will have built the foundation for a stable and secure Iraq over the next couple of years,” she said.