(CNN) -- International envoy Kofi Annan said Tuesday he sees Iran as a factor in diplomatic efforts to forge peace in Syria, a stance not shared by the United States. "I think Iran can play a positive role," Annan said during a news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran. His remarks came a day after he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. Annan said al-Assad agreed on "an approach" to ending the 16 months of bloodshed in his country. World powers have deplored al-Assad's government for its assaults against civilians. But the diplomatic wranglings, such as Annan's recent Action Group meeting in Geneva and the U.S. and Arab-backed Friends of Syria initiative, have failed to stop the killings of thousands since March 2011.

"And so, of course, Kofi Annan in

OPTIONS:
- Action Group, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Ali Akbar Salehi, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Annan, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Arab, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Bashar al-Assad, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- CNN, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Damascus, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Friends of Syria, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Geneva, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Iran, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Iranian, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Iraq, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Kofi Annan, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Syria, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Syrian, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- Tehran, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- U.S., to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- United States, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
- al-Assad, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.
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Tehran, to the extent that he can stress to the Iranians the importance of cooperating with the plan, that's a good thing.


(CNN) -- Heads bowed, solemn, they filed by. The rich, the powerful. The famous and the family. All of them bidding goodbye to anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela on Wednesday, the first of three days his body will lie in state at the seat of South Africa's government. First was South African President Jacob Zuma. Then came Mandela's widow, GraÃ§a Machel, and former wife Winnie Mandela, both wearing black turbans. In near silence, dozens of family members passed by as military honor guards dressed in white flanked the coffin on each end. There were others in Pretoria, too. Former South African leaders Thabo Mbeki and F.W. de Klerk, the country's last apartheid-era president and Nobel Peace Prize winner. U2's Bono also paused for a moment before moving on. So did Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.

"This is not the

OPTIONS:
- CNN who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- First who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- GraÃ§a Machel who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- Jacob Zuma who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- Johannesburg who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- Mandela who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- Nelson Mandela who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- Pretoria who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- South Africa who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- South African who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- Thabo Mbeki who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
- Winnie Mandela who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.
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Mandela who was in control of things that were happening around him, inspiring people.