Secret Parleys Ensured Vote Peace ; U.S. Officials Reached Out to Sunni Rebels in Iraq
The Washington Times › December 21, 2005
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Summary
American diplomats called it "mission impossible" - to bend the rules on contact with powerful anti American Sunni forces in Iraq and negotiate a cease-fire-all before last week's elections.
Their orders came from U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad. The effort took months and culminated in a day of voting in which Sunni Arabs came out in droves after having boycotted the first parliamentary election a year ago.See the full content of this document
Extract
Secret Parleys Ensured Vote Peace ; U.S. Officials Reached Out to Sunni Rebels in Iraq
The cease-fire period started Dec. 13 and ended Sunday, spanning Thursday's elections. The period passed with no major attacks on Iraqi civilians.
The effort by U.S. diplomats and military officials also redefined U.S. policy in Iraq - a potentially seismic shift that President Bush spelled out this month in four major policy speeches that referred to three types of insurgents: "rejectionists," "Saddamists" and terrorists.Washington seeks truceU.S. officials continue to talk with the "reje...See the full content of this document
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