A Shi'a-Sunni Summit Of Sorts

Mah- "I'm in the moud for surviving" Ahmadinejad (rhymes with "These Sunnis aren't that bad ... taste like chicken") is on his first official trip to Saudi Arabia, meeting King Abdullah at the airport (right).

So the top proponent of the spread of Shi'a Islam is meeting with the top proponent of the spread of Sunni Islam. They hate each others' guts, but they're all smiles for the camera.

The main focus of the talks is Iraq. Haaretz:

A Saudi official said earlier the Sunni Muslim kingdom would seek Shi'ite Iran's help to ease sectarian tensions in Iraq erupting into full-blown civil war.

"The two parties have agreed to stop any attempt aimed at spreading sectarian strife in the region," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told reporters without elaborating.

The government-controlled Saudi Gazette said the Saudi Gazette the two countries need to address the challenge of how to unite the Islamic world, "which is in danger of fragmenting because of sectarian tensions."

Al Jazeera reports that both Saudi and Iranian sources say the talks will cover Iran's nuclear program, with Saudi Arabia pushing for Tehran to conform with UN resolutons.

The surge is beginning to limit the chaos cased by external Sunni and Shia forces in Iraq. A bit of dialog is progressing between the US and Iran. A new, tougher set of sanctions is in the works. The Saudis are trying to talk sense to the madman from Tehran ... all positive moves and steps away from the brink.

But if the end result is a united Islam, what does that mean for us? It is always better for our enemies to kill each other than to focus jointly on us. So what are we to hope for from these talks? We want a more isolated, more vulnerable Iran, so do we hope that Ahmadinejad slips and calls the king an infidel? Or do we hope the talks will lead to a more peaceful Iran?

All the calls in the Middle East are tough calls.