Thursday, September 13, 2007

US seeks pact with enemies

LA Times: Us is negotiating with the Shiite militia, previously considered a terrorist group!
The military is in talks with elements of cleric Sadr's powerful group, which is accused of attacks against soldiers but which holds sway in much of Baghdad and parts of Iraq."
BAGHDAD -- -- U.S. diplomats and military officers have been in talks with members of the armed movement loyal to Muqtada Sadr, a sharp reversal of policy and a grudging recognition that the radical Shiite cleric holds a dominant position in much of Baghdad and other parts of Iraq.

The secret dialogue has been going on since at least early 2006, but appeared to yield a tangible result only in the last week -- with relative calm in an area of west Baghdad that has been among the capital's most dangerous sections.

The discussions have been complicated by divisions within Sadr's movement as well as the cleric's public vow never to meet with Iraq's occupiers. Underlying the issue's sensitivity, Sadrists publicly deny any contact with the Americans or British -- fully aware the price of acknowledging such meetings would be banishment from the movement or worse.

The dialogue represents a drastic turnaround in the U.S. approach to Sadr and his militia, the Mahdi Army.The military hopes to negotiate the same kind of marriage of convenience it has reached in other parts of Iraq with former insurgent groups, many Saddam Hussein loyalists, and the Sunni tribes that supported them. Both efforts are examples of how U.S. officials have sought to end violence by cooperating with groups they once considered intractable enemies.
...
In his testimony to Congress on Monday, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, underscored the importance of reaching out to the Mahdi Army, deflecting a suggestion that the U.S. declare the movement a terrorist group.

"You're not going to kill or capture all of the Sadr militia anymore than we are going to kill or capture all the insurgents in Iraq," Petraeus said. "Some of this is a little bit distasteful. It's not easy sitting across the table, let's say, or drinking tea with someone whose tribal members may have shot at our forces or in fact drawn the blood -- killed our forces."

MORALE of the Story: Talk first, before making enemies, to whom you end up speaking "distastefully"!

9 comments:

Larry said...

Crooks and Liars:

Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121. We need to let our representatives know that Bush cannot attack Iran. GW will not go away quietly as his disastrous term comes to an end. I think most of us believe Iran is the next target on Bush and Cheney’s to-do list. Kristol, the equally insane Ledeen (read this madness) and all his Neocon, warmongering pals are pushing the White House at every moment to make the attack happen.

Flood the Switchboards Before It's Too Late.

It's important we flood their switchboards day and night to stop this.

Larry said...

There is only one reason Bush would make a deal with them and it isn't good.

Anonymous said...

Moqtada is gonna wind up owning a big chunk of Iraq, and everybody knows it. This is little more than acknowledging that which is sure to be.

Frank Partisan said...

It seems divorced from reality, almost apocalyptic, the idea of attacking Iran.

I linked to your blog.

nunya said...

LMAO

Fallon told Petraeus [in March] that he considered him to be “an ass-kissing little chickensh*t” and added, “I hate people like that”, the sources say. That remark reportedly came after Petraeus began the meeting by making remarks that Fallon interpreted as trying to ingratiate himself with a superior.

Larry, did you know that Kucinich already laid out the articles of Impeachment? No wonder the msm ignores him.

enigma4ever said...

thanks Larry...( I came to pas it on..but Larry beat me here..)We are doing our best to stop the insanity naj...( you asked me if I am going to DC...I don;t know I am still going to try...but I don't know..)take care...

(excellent post)

Anonymous said...

Lieberman: Can't We Invade Iran Yet?
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004151.php

Naj said...

what the hell ... Liberman's vendetta!

:)

Naj said...

Nunya,

I don't know, I have been telling Joe that for years! ;)

I re-iterate what I always have: Israelis will do ALL in their power to make sure Iran and US won't make peace!

Iran needs to be erceived as the "enemy" for Israel to be getting all the goodies from you good hearted people of America!