U.S. Seeking Truce with Shi'ite Leader Sadr -SCIRI

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040412/ts_nm/iraq_usa_sadr_dc&cid=564&ncid=1480

TEHRAN (Reuters) - U.S. officials are seeking a truce with Shi'ite insurgent leader Moqtada al-Sadr, an official of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (news - web sites) (SCIRI) said on Monday, adding it was acting as a go-between in talks.



Mohsen al-Hakim, son of SCIRI chief Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, told Reuters in Tehran that negotiations were being held in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf where Sadr is thought to be holed up.


He said SCIRI and other groups were acting as intermediaries between U.S. officials and Sadr, who would not sit at the same table.


"So far, five rounds of negotiations have been held with a team appointed by Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, holding talks with Sadr's officials," Hakim said.

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[NNN0LHI]

1. What happened to the "radical" designation for al-Sadr?

And now we are looking for a truce with an accused murderer? Things must be coming apart over there.

Don

[IndianaGreen]

3. Americans were the only ones that believed those lies about al-Sadr

Iraqis are united against the occupation and the US is ill-prepared to fight both Sunnis and Shias.

[SoCalDem]

2. Before we arrest him?? or after??

Sounds like they cannot make up their minds..:shrug:

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Things must be going really bad for US forces

because you don't make truces with your enemy when you're winning.

Remember how the Afghans brought down the great Soviet Union? The Iraqi are about to do the same thing to the USA.

[NNN0LHI]

6. I think you mean the Afghans and Osama bin Laden brought down the USSR?

With help from the USA I might add. Makes one wonder if the Russians are returning the favor in Iraq?

Don

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Exactly, the Russians

plus the Chinese, all other Muslim countries, maybe even France and Germany. Did I leave anyone out?


BTW: Those 6 new hostages are from China. They arrived yesterday and were kidnapped as soon as they arrived. WTF, are the Chinese doing there?

[IndianaGreen]

10. I am wondering the same thing. Too many Abrams knocked out recently

Someone is arming the intifada...

[Jacobin]

5. But, but but, I didn't think we negotiated with "terraists"

:shrug:

Unless we are getting our asses whipped and can't win.

Oh yeah, and didn't the Iraqi judiciary withdraw Sadr's arrest warrant as illegally obtained?

A typical Bush* Oil Deal gone south.

[PATRICK]

8. Yes it is absurd

Can't negotiate with the Sunnis who are the real and mean military guerillas. This way they might get some hostages back, defuse one branch of the incendiary unity between Sadr and the Sunni forces. Sadr had not planned on whipping up all Iraq under his banner. The Sunnis had only planned on whipping up Iraq.

In effect there really is no one to negotiate with except an attempt to split the two groups for a breathing space. BY bludgeoning the civilians in Fallujah- and not going to the furthest extreme of that butchery they have achieved the worst of all worlds with gratuitous death and suffering- as per usual.

Everything they do in Iraq is mad.

[Mari333]

9. A truce would be good , and the US needs to leave now

we want a truce, I want Michael brought home and not in a box. I dont care how we get out of there, get us the hell out of there NOW
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com
get us out now NOW get us out of there.