U.S., Fallujah Leaders Hold Negotiations

[Barrett808]

U.S., Fallujah Leaders Hold Negotiations
By LOURDES NAVARRO, Associated Press Writer

FALLUJAH, Iraq - U.S. military and civilian officials met Friday with leaders from Fallujah, the first known direct negotiations involving Americans since the siege of the city began April 5. Nine civilians died in violence elsewhere in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Arab television station Al-Jazeera said Friday it received video showing a U.S. soldier in the custody of insurgents. The station did not immediately show the tape.

Two U.S. soldiers, as well as seven U.S. civilian contractors, have been missing in Iraq since their convoy was attacked on Friday outside Baghdad, amid a wave of kidnappings targeting foreigners.

In the south, the most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq warned the Americans not to enter the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. A U.S. commander said there were no such plans.

The military said U.S. soldiers fought back after they were attacked near Kufa, which neighbors the holy city of Najaf. Some 2,500 U.S. soldiers are deployed outside Najaf to kill or capture radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and dismantle his al-Mahdi Army militia.

Large explosions were seen by the river in a sparsely populated area on the edge of Kufa. Five civilians caught in the crossfire were killed and 14 wounded, hospital officials said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040416/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=1480

[Sagan]

1. So if we're in Iraq fighting terrorists...

..and we're fighting the Iraqis in Fallujah, that makes them terrorists, right? And now we're negotiating with terrorists?

[DustMolecule]

2. This whole thing is

:crazy:

[chelsea0011]

3. It makes perfect sense

Iraqi officials negotiate with al-Sadr then return with negotiations to the US who in turn kill al-Sadr with whom they have a contract out on.