Senior American Diplomat Admits "Arrogance" and "Stupidity" in Iraq, page 1

Last night Alberto Fernandez, director of public diplomacy in the bureau of Near Eastern affairs at the US state department, told al-Jazeera TV that the US was now willing to talk to any insurgent group apart from al-Qaeda. The interview came in response to Abu Mohammed, a spokesman for Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath Party had said that the United States was seeking a face-saving retreat from Iraq. Insurgents were ready to negotiate, but not to lay down their arms, al-Jazeera reports.
"The occupier has started to search for a face-saving way out. The resistance, with all its factions, is determined to continue fighting until the enemy is brought down to his knees and sits on the negotiating table or is dealt, with God's help, a humiliating defeat," Abu Mohammed said.
Fernandez is quoted for saying: "There is an element of the farcical in that statement …They are very removed from reality".

english.aljazeera.net
"We tried to do our best [in Iraq], but I think there is much room for criticism, because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq," Alberto Fernandez, director of public diplomacy in the bureau of Near Eastern affairs at the US state department, said in the interview, aired on the Arabic channel late Saturday.

Fernandez also declared that the US was ready to talk with any Iraqi group - except al-Qaeda in Iraq - to end the growing sectarian violence and the continuing insurgency.

"We are open to dialogue because we all know that, at the end of the day, the hell and the killings in Iraq are linked to an effective Iraqi national reconciliation," he said, speaking in Arabic from Washington.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

This is something new, secret feelers are been thrown out to check if insurgents are prone for talks. According to BBC changing of tactics are now being discussed between the commander-in-chief and the top brass. Even Rumsfeld is reported in for it. So I think we can assume this top diplomat, speaking in arabic, had the green light from the White House to go on al-Jazeera TV.

As for the feelers, it is worth noticing that they only goes out for insurgent groups outside al-Qaeda. To keep up his WOT, al-Qaeda as an enemy is vital for George Bush.

Combined with the GOP ad, "The Stakes", to air this weekend, I guees the signal - the upcoming elections in mind - is: "a little for the doves and a little for the hawks".

But the message is very new and totally unexpected: "Arrogance" and "Stupidity"!

Related News Links:
news.bbc.co.uk

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Oval Office Scams Vol 2: Ignoring intelligence, promoting the Caliphate
GOP is Counting on Fear in a Bid to Win The Elections

[edit on 22/10/06 by khunmoon]