WASHINGTON, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing U.S.
Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said he had held talks last year with
representatives of major Sunni insurgent groups in a drive to bring them into
politics, the New York Times reported Monday.
"There were discussions with the representatives of
various groups in the aftermath of the elections, and during the formation of
the government before the Samarra incident, and some discussions afterwards as
well," Khalilzad was quoted as saying.
Khalilzad was the first American official to publicly
acknowledge such talks, the report said.
A powerful explosion blew off the golden dome of a
mosque in Samarra, one of the holiest Shiite shrines in Iraq on Feb. 22, 2006,
further intensifying sectarian strife in the country.
The meetings began in early 2006 and were possibly
the first attempts at sustained contact between senior American officials and
the Sunni Arab insurgency, according to the report.
Khalilzad flew to Jordan for some of the talks,
including those with the self-identified representatives of the Islamic Army of
Iraq and the 1920 Revolution Brigades, two leading nationalist factions.
Khalilzad's willingness to approach Iraqi rebel
groups seemed at odds with the public position of some Bush administration
officials that the United States does not negotiate with insurgents.
It was not clear whether he had to seek permission
from Washington before engaging in such talks, the report said.
U.S. President George W. Bush has nominated Khalilzad
to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
BAGHDAD, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military said Thursday it had captured the leaders of a network responsible for the kidnapping and murder of five U.S. soldiers early this year.
"Over the past several days, Coalition forces in Basra and Hillah captured Qais Khazali, his brother Laith Khazali, and several other members of the Khazali network," the military said in a statement. Full story
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