US 'in talks with Iraq militants'

[ECH1969]

The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, has said US officials have held talks with some groups linked to the Sunni-led Iraqi insurgency.

Mr Khalilzad told the BBC that, in his opinion, the talks had had an impact as the number of attacks on US troops by Iraqi militants had fallen.

However, the ambassador said militia groups, which he described as the infrastructure of civil war, were just as much of a problem.

He said the risk of sectarian war breaking out in Iraq remains if ethnic divisions between its Kurdish and majority Arab population developed, and warned it could turn into a wider regional conflict.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4885874.stm

[LynnTheDem]

1. bush "doesn't negotiate with terrorists" so now they're "militants".

Not heard "dead-enders" or "Saddam-lovers" much lately.

Rightwingnuts and their bush-god; stupidest MFers on the planet.

[bucknaked]

2. a policy, clearly enforced when dealing with Libya, ahem... whom also...

had oil to sell. Nevermind, Lockerbie.

[UpInArms]

7. and if they are now militants, should they not receive POW status

and be protected under the Geneva Convention?

[cliss]

3. Isn't this an amazing story?

Here the US, under the guise of "Helpful Occupier" lets the country have an election.

To its dismay, the outcome is not what the US wanted. No matter! We said Democracy for the Iraqis. Soon, they elect a leader that the U.S. doesn't like (Al Jaafari) who's in fact sympathetic to Muqtada Al Sadr (Pentagon "Bad Boy"). What do we do? We send Rice over there to pressure them to kick him out. Bush says Jaafari needs to be gone.

Next? We go over there and meddle with insurgent groups. It just goes to show you: the U.S. cannot keep its hands off.

[Teaser]

4. Every move they make is a bad one.

But that is because the only moves available are bad ones. There is no "solution" to Iraq, other than letting the country fly apart. Which is going to happen whether we're they're or not.

[Barrett808]

5. The big surrender to Iran is scheduled for next week

This may be the biggest humiliation since the hostages were taken a generation ago.

[enigma000]

6. Which states are the Iranians getting?

Probably Blue States right? Does that mean the US flag is going to have to change now? A few less stars. I wish the Iranians would demand the US surrender Texas - that would be an improvement.