Related Event: Iraq in Transition

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says that talking to anti-US fighters in Iraq is important for a political solution to the conflict.

British newspaper The Sunday Times reported that US officials recently met secretly with Iraqi commanders north of Baghdad to negotiate an end to the bloodshed.

Prime Minister Tony Blair announced on Monday that Britain has also been contacting Iraqi fighters.

Asked whether this was good or bad, Annan said contacts with the fighters are part of the process to resolve the issue politically and he thought it is the correct thing to do.

Blair said Britain has joined the United States and the Iraqi government in contacting elements of the armed opposition in Iraq to promote stability. However, the prime minister declined to predict how long it would take to stabilize the country.

(Photo source: aljazeera.net)