Is That The WH Negotiating With Terra-ists?

[Nbadan]

LONDON (AP) - U.S. officials held secret talks in Iraq with the commanders of several Iraqi insurgent groups recently in an attempt to open a dialogue with them, a British newspaper reported Sunday.

The commanders ``apparently came face to face'' with four American officials during meetings on June 3 and June 13 at a summer villa near Balad, about 25 miles north of Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, according to The Sunday Times.

The Sunday Times said neither the Iraqi government nor U.S. officials in Baghdad would confirm its report about the talks. Military officials in Baghdad did not immediately respond to a request by The Associated Press for comment on the Times article early Sunday morning.

The story, which quoted unidentified Iraqis whose groups were purportedly involved in the talks, said those at the first meeting included Ansar al-Sunnah Army, which has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Iraq and an attack that killed 22 people in the dining hall of a U.S. base at Mosul last Christmas.

Guardian

More...

The talks on June 3 were followed by a second encounter 10 days later, according to an Iraqi who said that he had attended both meetings. Details provided to The Sunday Times by two Iraqi sources whose groups were involved indicate that further talks are planned in the hope of negotiating an eventual breakthrough that might reduce the violence in Iraq.

Despite months of American military assaults on supposed insurgent bases, General John Abizaid, the regional US commander, admitted to Congress last week that opposition strength was “about the same” as six months ago and that “there’s a lot of work to be done against the insurgency”.

That work now includes secret negotiations with rebel leaders, according to the Iraqi sources. Washington seems to be gingerly probing for ways of defusing home-grown Iraqi opposition and of isolating the foreign Islamic militants who have flooded into Iraq to wage holy war against America under the command of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The talks appear to represent the first serious effort by Americans and Iraqi insurgents to find common ground since violence intensified in the spring. Earlier informal contacts were reported but produced no perceptible progress.

Times Online

It's tough reporting stuff like this mainly because it's one of the few things this administration is doing right in Iraq at this moment. Still, if the WH is negotiating with the enemy in Iraq while still portraying them as terra-ists to the corporate media back home, that's news.

[The Ressurrected One]

Seems to me they're talking to the real insurgents...not the imported terra'rists.

[foodie2]

No nation can negotiate with terrorists. For there is no way to make peace with those whose only goal is death.

George W. Bush
Remarks to Reporters
April 4, 2002

After weeks of delicate negotiation . . . a small group of insurgent commanders apparently came face to face with four American officials seeking to establish a dialogue with the men they regard as their enemies. The talks on June 3 were followed by a second encounter 10 days later, according to an Iraqi who said that he had attended both meetings . . . further talks are planned in the hope of negotiating an eventual breakthrough that might reduce the violence in Iraq.

The Sunday Times of London

Next week we'll get the memo: we are mis-remembering Chimpy's quote, and obviously only liberals would think that he said we wouldn't negotiate with the terra-ists. Book it--it's only a matter of time before the Bushco. spin-machine gets started on this one.

[Ocotillo]

Seems to me they're talking to the real insurgents...not the imported terra'rists.

The report says they were talking with Ansar Al-Sunna.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/ansar-al-sunna.htm

Ansar Al-Sunna is said to be linked to al-Quaida.

Pray tell what is a terrorist if not these guys.

And pray tell, what did dearleader say about negotiating with terrorists?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/07/20040721-14.html

You can't talk sense to the terrorists. You cannot negotiate with terrorists. We must engage these enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq and around the world so we do not have to face them here at home.

Let's see what did they say about Kerry?...............

oh yeah, flip flop

[Ocotillo]

Next thing you know, the Busheviks will be trying to understand the terrorists. Or maybe even exploring therapy.