BAGHDAD, March 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Secret negotiations are underway between the US officials and the armed groups in Ramadi and Falluja in order to reduce violence against US forces, local newspaper Al Furat reported on Wednesday.

   During the talks, the US officials has showed intention to meet the demands of the armed groups that the Sunni leaders should have a role in the new government, said the report.

   "The US administration did not ignore the Sunni demands of participation in the political process," sources close to the negotiations were quoted as saying. 

   "However, the armed groups are not sure whether their demands would be met, and they suspect that the negotiations might be an attempt by Washington to lure them into stopping confrontations with the occupation forces," added the sources.

   Ramadi, 110 km west of Baghdad, and Falluja, 50 km west of Baghdad, are two hotbeds of insurgent attacks on US forces. 

   Violence has not eased since the Jan. 30 parliamentary elections which further marginalized the Sunni Arabs, most of them boycotted the vote or scared away from the polling stations. Enditem