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| Iraq |
| Iraqi VP Calls For Talks With Insurgents, Not al-Qaeda, Possible Early Elections |
| 2007-03-21 |
| Iraqi Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi used an interview Wednesday to call for talks with insurgents in the country -- with the exception of Al-Qaeda. "I do believe there is no way but to talk to everybody," he said, adding that militants were "just part of the Iraqi communities". All parties "should be invited, should be called to sit down around the table to discuss their fears, their reservations," he said, while adding that Al-Qaeda was "not very much willing, in fact, to talk to anybody". In his comments published on the BBC's website, Hashemi noted that many people in Iraq were "annoyed" that coalition troops in the country were "damaging the dignity of Iraqis" but stressed that they should stay "until further notice". He also expressed discomfort that sectarianism was reflected in the make-up of Iraq's government. "(It) might be that the Iraqis need to be convinced that to break up this polarisation we have to go for, first of all, election system reform and second, to go for early elections," he told the broadcaster. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |