US reaching out to some Iraq insurgents

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http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=15095

WASHINGTON & BAGHDAD - The United States is reaching out for talks with some but not all of the insurgent groups fighting US and Iraqi government forces, US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said Monday.


Speaking on the ABC television network, Khalilzad said he was open for negotiations with any of the various insurgent groups excepting Saddam Hussein loyalists and followers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq.


"We are reaching out to everyone but two groups: the Zarqawi group and associated forces who are jihadists... and the Saddamists. Those who want Saddam Hussein to return," Khalilzad said.


Khalilzad gave no details of the groups he hoped to negotiate with, but indicated they were of the minority Sunnis who feel excluded from the political process in Iraq.

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1. If a Democratic president did this we would be lectured about "appeasment"

The AEI, PNAC and Heritage Foundation would publish nice, glossy position papers about how we shouldn't appease the terrorists, with of course the usual analogies to World War II, Neville Chamberlin and 1938.

The columnists at townhall.com would kick it into gear and in lockstep, would publish columns condeming President Kerry for losing the will to fight the war on terror.

The usual troublemakers in Congress who like to make late night speeches to an empty house chamber would also kick it into gear.

Limbaugh, Hannity, et. al. would whine, piss, shit and moan.

Fox News would, well, we know how they would spin it.

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2. It would be the lead story everywhere today if it were a Democratic prez

Front page of the NYT and WaPo too. I don't know if they have even reported on this at all?

Don