JUDY WOODRUFF: America honored its war dead on this Memorial Day with a main focus on those killed in Iraq. President Bush hailed them as a new generation of heroes. He visited Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia this morning and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. He paid tribute to the fallen, and he said, even after years of war, thousands of Americans are enlisting and re-enlisting.
GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: Those who serve are not fatalists or cynics. They know that one day this war will end, as all wars do. Our duty is to ensure that its outcome justifies the sacrifices made by those who fought and died in it. From their deaths must come a world where the cruel dreams of tyrants and terrorists are frustrated and foiled, where our nation is more secure from attack.
JUDY WOODRUFF: At least 10 more Americans were killed in Iraq over the weekend. With their deaths, the U.S. toll in Iraq passed 100 for the month of May. More than 3,450 Americans have been killed since the war began in 2003.
In Baghdad today, the United States and Iran held a rare meeting to talk about the Iraqi situation. The two countries broke diplomatic ties after the Iranian revolution and the seizure of the U.S. embassy in 1979. Today, American Ambassador Ryan Crocker said Iran denied supporting militants, but agreed Iraq must be peaceful and stable.
RYAN CROCKER, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq: At the level of principle and policy, there was broad agreement, Iraqis, Iranians and Americans. In terms of security specifics, we laid out a number of them. The Iranians did not offer any detailed response. They did say they rejected such allegations, but, again, there was no detailed exchange.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The Iranian ambassador said his country offered to train and equip Iraq's army and police. He did not give details, but made this general statement of support after the talks.
HASSAN KAZEMI QOMI, Iranian Ambassador to Iraq (through translator): The two parties in this meeting have agreed upon a mutual stance to support the elected Iraqi government concerning the national unity and national territories and authorize full sovereignty for the Iraqi government.
JUDY WOODRUFF: The Iranian said the two sides will meet again soon. Crocker did not confirm that. We'll have more on this story right the news summary.
Even as the talks took place, a suicide car bomber struck in central Baghdad. The blast killed at least 21 Iraqis in a busy commercial district. Scores more were wounded. A nearby Sunni Muslim shrine was also damaged. Fifteen Iraqis died in other bombings and shootings in the city, and police found the bodies of more than 30 shooting victims.
As many as 380 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan in the first four months of this year; the United Nations reported that today. It urged U.S. and NATO forces, as well as the Taliban, to protect those not involved in the fighting.
In the south, witnesses in Helmand province said at least seven more civilians died Sunday in a 10-hour battle. At least 24 militants were killed, as well.
Palestinian leaders tried today to end a week-old standoff in Lebanon. The Lebanese army is facing Islamist militants who are holed up at a Palestinian refugee camp. Palestinian factions hope to work out a deal to keep the violence from spreading to other camps.
The government of Japan was dealt a new blow today, when the minister of agriculture hanged himself. He had been implicated in alleged fraud and bid-rigging. He killed himself hours before a parliamentary committee planned to question him. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet has faced a series of scandals since taking power last year.
