Talking with Terrorists? Happens All the Time

LONDON -- There he goes again. George Bush. Talking the talk to create bloodshed where he never has to walk the walk. And scoring cheap political points while doing so.

President Bush calls people who talk to terrorist groups appeasers and implies Barack Obama should wear a Scarlet A where his American Flag lapel pin ought to be.

Well George, what did you call your good friend Tony Blair then? He spent most of the first years of his time in office talking to the IRA's political wing Sinn Fein. And managed to negotiate a peace deal, the Good Friday Agreement, that was approved by the people of Northern Ireland even though the IRA was still armed to the teeth -- most of its weapons purchased from rogue state Libya. You going to call Tony Blair an Appeaser, Mr. President?

I was in the House of Commons the day Blair's predecessor John Major said it would turn his stomach to talk to the IRA. It was just weeks after the IRA had blown up a fish and chips shop on the Shankill Road killing many people. I had watched Gerry Adams carry the coffin of the bomber through his neighborhood. The atmosphere was feverish. Yet newspapers were reporting that talks were on-going... and so Major had to give a speech to parliament. I have no doubt Major felt nauseous about talking to terrorists, he had personal friends who had been murdered by the IRA... but the papers were right, talks were going on. You going to call John Major, who the IRA mortar-bombed in Downing Street, an appeaser?

The planet is covered with terrorist groups, many of them holdovers from liberation struggles of the post-colonial era. They all have political wings set up specifically to do the kind of negotiating Sinn Fein successfully did. If you want to resolve their conflicts you have to talk to them... sometimes on the QT, sometimes through the media, sometimes face to face. But in the end you talk.

You know it, Mr President, and if you don't, in Israel they do. Call up Shimon Peres and ask him about it. Call up any senior Israeli politician, Likud or Labour, and ask them. They spent decades saying they would never talk to the PLO, but in the end they did. Some day, sooner rather than later, they will talk to Hamas. Because peace does not mean justice. Peace means simply the space to breathe. Peace means crimes go unpunished ... but people have space to renew their lives.

For more on Israel-Palestine on the 60th Birthday of the founding of Israel go here. Spread the word.

And as for states like Iran -- disgusting as the Ahmadenijad regime is -- you talk. You talk because no government is forever -- even those without term limits -- and co-opting that kind of regime is easier than invading it. Too bad you never learned that.

Comments

[Cymbeline]

President Bush not only negotiates with terrorists, he pays them. The supposed 90,000 strong Sunni Awakening or Sons of Iraq or "local citizens" are "former" insurgents who were killing Americans. Now Bush is rewarding each of them with $300 of the American people's money every month ($27million/month) because they say they are fighting al-Qaeda. Bush takes the terrorists at their word that they will not use some of that money to aid Hamas or turn the weapons we have helped they acquire on Americans once again.

Republicans have a long history of appeasing terrorists. Reagan rewarded the terrorists who took Americans hostage in Iran with weapon sales. His administration helped Saddam acquire the highest quality components needed to make biological and chemical WMD. He them appeased the terrorists who killed over 250 Marines in Lebanon by cutting and running.
Bush 41's Administration with Cheney as Defense Secretary allowed Saddam to fly helicopter gunships through American controlled air-space to slaughter hundreds of thousands of Kurds and Shiites. This after the Administration encouraged those groups to revolt against Saddam.

And these are just a few examples of many that could be sited about the party of appeasement the GOP.

[DerekRC]

Presidents of the United States do not speak with, legitimize or create PR campaigns (except Jimmy Carter) by meeting with and speaking with rogue or terrorist leaders.

Diplomacy is handled by diplomats. Iran and the USA are in contact all the time through back channels. To create a media circus of an event to attain an unrealistic outcome is foolish, and a waste of time. By meeting with a rouge leader, a President only serves as a tool for the rouge government.

Democrats must stop pushing for policies of appeasement. It is indeed simple.

[MadJeffersonian]

Are you not forgetting Reagan's public summits with the Soviets to win PR victories?

[idest]

So you would call Tony Blair an appeaser then? What about John Major?

[Sciguy]

Great column. Thank you.

[Obamamo]

I think Iran refused to talk to Terrorists. George Bushit is regarded in the world as a TERRORIST and I think no one want to negotiate with him because of his TERRORIST activities. So, the world is asking for regime change right here in America because our TERRORIST in Chief wreck havoc everywhere he goes.

[THINKB4USPEAK]

Man, am I the only one sick of political word-spin and distortion? Did Obama say he would TALK with Iran, or that he would NEGOTIATE with them? The last time I looked at an American English dictionary, these words were NOT the same thing.Unwillingness to talk to an "enemy", be they real or just politically convenient for a policy based on engendering fear in the masses, is an almost certain path to a violent confrontation down the road. Anyway, wasn't GHB the guy who brokered the deal in a Paris meeting to hold the American hostages in Iran until the Reagan gang took over from Carter? Iran/Contra, anyone? And it's bold and interesting in a way that gwb would make reference to the nazis, when his gang has been, and continues to be, the best example of fascist tactics and policies in American history.

[deminmo]

How would you eliminate all terrorists? Greed and
the desire for power is always within the human spirit, as
is the belief that there is only one right way.

[lauraq]

On what do you base your conclusion as to what motivates any given terrorist. How can you eliminate all terrorists--or any--unless you know what their grievances are? Greed may be a motivation. Desire for power may be a motivation. The belief that your way is the only right way. If those were the motivations, does that make George Bush a terrorist? From some Iraqis' points of view, he may be. But I don't think that's what you had in mind. Am I wrong?

[andyg]

dont terrorists use terror as the method of talking.

[BobOnThis]

Pure Shitzbah,,, lets look at what bush really thunks and does!

“I use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few”
“What luck for the rulers that men do not think”
" The victor will never be asked if he told the truth”
"He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future”
"I do not see why man should not be just as cruel as nature"
"I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator"
"Who says I am not under the special protection of God?”
"The day of individual happiness has passed'
And my favorite: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”!

Bush's daddy & mentor is Hitler not our founders. Atleast Hilter was honest when it came to the stupidity of the masses and how easyily they are deceived by the purveyors of gods & gov'ts!

Both democrats & republicans suffer from 'flicht'... (the brainwashed fervor) that many germans gave into during Hitlers push towards world domination & socialism. Only now the flicht comes from the endless supply of empty promises wrapped in willful delusion and factual lies. This form of mass mental masterbation is never good for society... yet most americans practice it daily & reliogiously!

Hitler, bush, hillary, barack all come from the same machevillian, manifest destiny, schools of thought... divide, conquer, then control the subjugated masses by dictating proclaimations & mandates while pretending that's what 'promoting the

[appleknocker]

Equating "talking with terrorists" to "appeasement" seems especially silly to those of us old enough to remember the same kinds of people saying the same kinds of things about the godless Soviet Union. And as for "Red China" . . .

[coloneblog]

Why are we, the people of the US, so fearful of future terrorist attacks on America. We spend $600 billion a year on our military, more than $150 billion in War supplementals each year, add the budgets of the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security; that's well over a trillion dollars per year, not to mention monies spent to counter terrorism by our allies. If we can't stifle any and all terrorist attacks with those kinds of resources, we would be compelled to march on Washington in mass and run our failed leaders, whoever they are, out of town; never to return again.

[slemay]

Saudi Arabia gives more money to terrorists than any other country. For one thing, they have more money. But I remember seeing GW Bush holding hands with the Saudi prince at his ranch and in Saudi Arabia on a recent trip. The two families go way back.

We attacked Iraq without finishing our business in Afghanistan, letting Ben Laden off the hook in the process. We also gave money to Ben Laden when he fought the Russians in Afghanistan. We gave money to Saddam when he fought against Iran. And who were some of the key players at that time: George H. W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld.

Bush says don't talk to terrorists, but his administration settled things with North Korea and with Libiya. This a more political posturing from a man who lacks both wisdom and personal courage.

To the extent that we can ignore the president of the U. S., we should ignore him.

[lauraq]

Do NOT ignore him! Just the opposite. Shine a spotlight on his dishonest political games. Ignoring is as bad as just going along. Keep his foolishness and hypocrisy in the full light of day. That's a part of being a responsible citizen. Your other points are fine. I understand the wishful thinking that by ignoring him we wouldn't have to deal with our reality for the next 8 months. May our country learn from this experience.

[C65]

EXPERIENCE,HA!,HA!
THAT'S OUR PROBLEM, 8 YRS.AGO WE THOUGHT WE HAD NOT ONLY
EXPERIENCE,BUT A CHRISTIAN.
GIVE ME LIBERTY,GIVE ME FREEDOM,BUT MOST OF ALL,GIVE ME HONESTY
EVEN IF IT COMES WITHOUT EXPERIENCE. LOOK AT WHAT AN EXPERIENCED
LIAR DOES:PREY ON THE LESS EDUCATED AND MIDDLE CLASS BY USING
WORDS LIKE:APPEA­SGATE,BITT­ERGATE,LAP­ELGATE,UNP­ATRIOTICGA­TE,
NIEVEGATE,­INEXPERIEN­CEGATE,BLA­CKGATE,WHI­TEGATE, AND THE
G A T E S GO ON AND ON.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT TO WATCH TELEVISION I DON'T NEED JUST
A REMOTE ,I NEED A DICTIONARY A COURSE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

[Silknspark]

Are eco-terrorists included?

[lauraq]

Name calling just puts people on the defensive and shuts down the real opportunity to create solutions.

[NoSpinTruthZone]

Of course not. They're democrats.

[Silknspark]

NoSpinTruthZone,

Nice to read someone - - who still has a hearty sense of humor! Thank you.

lauraq,

Was anyone denigrated by NoSpin’s comment?
I thought it was a nifty quick, humorous retort!
Contraire to being scolded or lectured to, laughter opens up people and makes them receptive to finding solutions.
What shuts down opportunities - particularly with resource production, are humorless (Except when they laugh on the way to the bank…at the dummies who buy their snake oil.) jurisdictions foreign money gluttons, - who control our government­...therefo­re you.
Government mandates to purchase products we can't afford, don't want and are defective (like Al Gore's global warming fable), are killing our Republic!
That's no laughing matter - - and why - - comic relief via bloggers like NoSpin...are so welcome!
In today’s extreme up tight ultra sensitive society, funnymen like Bob Hope would have been severely chastised and shut down.
Even our resource providers, whose livelihoods the Al Gore’s of the world steal, still retain their humor.
If though, the Al Gore's of the world are allowed continuation of their carte blanche grand thefs, they're sure to steal the last chuckle on earth!
I’ve yet to read one blogger, columnist or reporter, who’s found words powerful enough to penetrate the fortress the power brokers hide behind. They, including Hillary, Barack , McCain and GW, are so encapsulated by jurisdictions foreign, that they’re either: A) Part of the “Let’s turn America into a socialistic state” crew. B) Stupid!

[FranksMusings]

False Promise of Appeasement

I fear that President Bush and his sympathizers on the Right, including the Israeli Knesset, believe that those in the world who disagree with U.S. policy would feel they had accomplished their goals by just coming to sit at a negotiation table with U.S. officials. How unsure he is of controlling such a situation. Does he really believe that spending time to talk to someone who threatens to upset his orderly system would convince observers that he has nothing better to do?

Yes, it is advisable to define the terms of such a negotiation beforehand--it is always wise to prepare well for any meeting. It is not naïve to believe that going unprepared into a meeting that you hope to achieve an objective, it is just plain stupid. It is almost as vapid an activity to meet for the sake of meeting alone as to step into the public relations trap of a rival who has no better goal to achieve than to win the allegiance of sympathizers who need nothing more than a good show to earn their support. The advantages of order far outweigh the risks of chaos.

[loax]

Fabulous commentary. Spot on! It is wonderful to see people are realizing the Goerge Bush is a War mongerer, and that mCain will continue his path.

[radicalcentrist44]

I have not been the biggest fan of Obama because he did not have enough substance and I was not sure what he really stands for. The speech he gave on the "negotiate with terrorists" was a great speech and he addressed several of my concerns. He needs to keep giving these speeches to influence those moderate voters from both parties.

[idest]

He's been giving "these speeches" his whole campaign, maybe this is just the first one you watched.

[BinBaldwin]

Left Wing Jews like Goldfarb will be the end of the State of Israel

[whitey7]

No, maybe just the end of Israel's facist policies.

[Donald Wolberg]

And hopw many aliens from Mars have you met in the last week...Israel is the sole democratic state in the Middle East, and a testament to the will of a people's dream of rebirth...read some history...

[magen]

I think talking and coming to some kind of compromise would insure the survival of the state of Israel more than being in a state of constant tit for tat.

What do you think, the Israel haters are magically gonna change their minds one day?

Or that one day you'll succeed in killing them all?

Winning over hearts and minds although way more difficult than killing is what needs to be done in the long run.

[torrrep]

So Israel should just allow them to keep launching rockets and sending suicide bombers inside their borders? The terrorists don't want to compromise. They want EVERYTHING.

[bobwalters]

In fact, Bush was addressing a whole gaggle of terrorists and terrorist legacies in the Knesset. He's been talking with a terrorist government in Israel. Of course, he probably doesn't know anything about Irgun or the terrorist raids on Palestinian schools, hospitals, -- all civilian -- during the Zionist efforts to drive all the indigenous people out of Palestine to form the State of Israel. And he wouldn't admit that the European pilgrims/p­ioneers/se­ttlers committed the same kind of terrorism and attempts at genocide on Native Americans in order to steal their lands and resources and fulfill their Christian "Manifest Destiny". Why has bin Laden not been caught?? Wanna bet he has a deal with BushCo & the Carlyle Group? Bush = Lying hypocrit-in-chief.

[Donald Wolberg]

Oh my, the aluminum foil har crowd from Roswell lives...no sense is nonsense. A good reading of hisotry would help Mr. Bob