After word came out that Iraqi and American forces were planning a major offensive in terrorist strongholds,…
Insurgent/terrorist groups have contacted the Iraqi President and say they want to take him up on his offer to negotiate!
The armed groups say they want to join the political process.
The following is a translation of a headline and news from the November 26th edition of the Iraqi Arabic newspaper Al-Mada as provided by Iraqi American Haider Ajina.
Iraq’s president Al-Talebani receives communique’ from armed groups requesting negotiations
Wafieq Al-Sameraai, national security advisor to Iraq’s president Al-Talebani announce, Saturday, that the president received a number communiqués from armed groups. Some are Islamists and others Baathist, who operate in western and northern Baghdad. They were requesting dialog and to enter the political process.
This came on the heals of an announcement (a week ago Sunday) by Al-Talebani that he stands prepared to contact the Iraqi Resistance if those responsible for the resistance requested contact. Al-Talebani said: “If those who call them selves Iraqi Resistance want to contact me I welcome them. I will not refuse to meet any one who wishes to meet me, this does not mean that I will accept what they propose”.
Alzarqawi’s terrorist group refused Al-Talebani’s invitation for dialog with insurgents. They affirmed that “The Sword and Blood” are the only dialog, as per an Internet post last week. Al-Sameraai added: “Alzarqawi’s terrorist group are foreigners, and there would be no dialog with foreign groups. The only solution for them is to leave Iraq and return to their native countries. As for those who are fighting to return Saddam’s regime to power, they need to desist this objectionable path.”
A spokesman for “Muslim Scholars” (a Sunni opposition group with ties to armed insurgents) said: “Dialog between the resistance and President Al-Talebani is possible if the president is serious about his desire to meet.”
Al-Sameraai added: “The responsibility of the president is to listen to the opinion of all, regardless of their identity, this includes the armed groups in Iraq.”
Haider Ajina comments:
The former Baathists and their Sunni backers are coming to the table. The severe blow the Iraqis & our forces have dealt them over the last weeks has shown them our and the Iraqi’s resolve.
This is a critical time for a successful outcome in Iraq. The Iraqi governmental elections are around the corner. If the Baathists lay down their arms we would have substantially reduced the terrorist forces.
Alzarqawi’s Alqaida in Iraq will become the focuses of cleansing operations. Since most of Alzarqawi’s followers are non-Iraqis, the local support for them should dwindle and their defeat more certain. The Iraqi street (especially now in the Sunni areas) is becoming more and more aware that Alzarqawi and his group are not fighting for Iraq or the Iraqis, they are simply their to expand their agenda of a Taliban style rule over Iraq and as much of the Mideast as they can destabilize.
Many Arab and Islamic groups who have been silent about the attacks on Iraqis have started condemning Alqaida and its terrorist agenda. This is a major shift, one that hopefully will persist till Alqaida and its ideology is completely crippled.
Regards
Haider Ajina
Mckinleyville CA
The Daily Times of Pakistan is also reporting this news today:
“We have received calls from people who said they belonged to armed groups,” Talabani’s national security advisor Lieutenant-General Wafeeq al-Sammarai told AFP, adding that the callers “said they were ready to join the political process.”
They included Islamists and Baathists from the now banned party of deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, said Sammarai, who was the head of Iraqi military intelligence in the 1991 Gulf War.
On Thursday, Interior Minister Bayan Baker Solagh told reporters that security forces were preparing to launch a comprehensive sweep involving 10,000 men throughout the country against rebels before the December 15 elections.
“We are going to strike forcefully at the hotbeds of terrorism in different regions,” he said.
Interesting how these insurgent groups are taking Talabani up on his offer now after the announcement was made of the planned “comprehensive sweep”. And, yet from successful campaign to successful campaign, there are still naysayers who believe that, “The U.S. can not accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily.”
Talabani repeated his offer for dialogue with any weapon-carrying “Iraqi” again today. He said he would tell the insurgents that political action was the “only solution, and that resorting to arms while there is an elected government is useless because we believe it constitutes an act of terror.”
Kirk H. Sowell posted a complete review of the Cairo talks from last weekend today on Publius Pundit.