‘Iraqi insurgents not in contact with US anymore’ (Failed Negotiations)

[TexasLawyer]

Well, it looks like we were trying to broker a deal with the insurgents but it fell through. We apparently had a Memorandum of Understanding but were unable (unwilling?) to keep up our end of the deal.

So, I guess that it was all for the best that the govt. kept us entirely in the dark about these efforts.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

‘Iraqi insurgents not in contact with US anymore’

* Representatives of 10 insurgent groups met Khalilzad seven times
* Talks focused on US withdrawal from Iraq

DUBAI: Iraqi insurgents met with the US ambassador seven times but decided to break off contacts after formation of the new Iraqi government, a major Arabic-language newspaper said Tuesday. In a rare interview with the London-based Asharq Al Awsat newspaper, an Iraqi insurgent leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the talks with US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad first took place in Amman, Jordan on Jan. 16 and continued in Baghdad at an undisclosed location outside the Green Zone.

“Seven meetings took place between us- the representatives of more than 10 prominent Iraqi resistance groups- and the American ambassador, three of which took place before Feb 6,” the militant leader was quoted as saying.

<snip>

According to Asharq Al Awsat, the insurgent leader said the talks focused on a US withdrawal from Iraq. He said the Americans agreed to meet certain conditions during a supposed “period of calm” between Feb 6 and Feb 13, but they failed to do so.

“We had certain primary conditions including a halt to military operations, arrest raids against innocent Iraqis, and the release of prisoners that were arrested unjustly...but they failed to implement their obligations so the Iraqi resistance continued their operations,” the insurgent told the newspaper.

<snip>

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\03\story_3-5-2006_pg4_1

[TexasLawyer]

1. anybody out there?

I think this is pretty important news.

[Robbien]

2. These meetings took place in Jan/Feb but failed. In May the media

reported the talks as if they were just happening and were going well.

So the recent reports of "good news" negotiations was just a propaganda campaign.

Right?

[Barrett808]

3. The casualty rate reflects this

We're back up to over 2 KIA per day. Back during negotiations, we were below 1 per day.



http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/USfatalities.html

[TexasLawyer]

4. Newsweek had covered the negotiations

Well, now we know how it all turned out!


Exclusive: Direct Talks—U.S. Officials and Iraqi Insurgents

Newsweek



Feb. 6, 2006 issue - American officials in Iraq are in face-to-face talks with high-level Iraqi Sunni insurgents, NEWSWEEK has learned. Americans are sitting down with "senior members of the leadership" of the Iraqi insurgency, according to Americans and Iraqis with knowledge of the talks (who did not want to be identified when discussing a sensitive and ongoing matter).

The talks are taking place at U.S. military bases in Anbar province, as well as in Jordan and Syria. "Now we have won over the Sunni political leadership," says U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. "The next step is to win over the insurgents."

<snip>

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11079548/site/newsweek/