posted June 28, 2006 05:06 PM              

By STEVEN R. HURST and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers
1 hour, 17 minutes ago

Eleven Sunni insurgent groups have offered to halt attacks on the U.S.-led military if the Iraqi government and President Bush set a two-year timetable for withdrawing all foreign troops from the country, insurgent and government officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The demand is part of a broad offer from the groups, who operate north of Baghdad in the heavily Sunni Arab provinces of Salahuddin and Diyala. Although much of the fighting has been to the west, those provinces have become increasingly violent and the attacks there have regularly crippled oil and commerce routes.

The groups do not include the powerful Islamic Army in Iraq, Muhammad Army and the Mujahedeen Shura Council, the umbrella label for eight militant groups including al-Qaida in Iraq. But the new offer comes at a time when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government is reaching out to militant Sunnis, including a new amnesty plan for insurgent fighters.

Al-Maliki, in remarks broadcast on national television Wednesday, did not issue an outright rejection of the timetable demand but said it was unrealistic because he could not be certain when the Iraqi army and police would be strong enough to assume full responsibility for the country's security.

Eight of the 11 insurgent groups banded together to approach al-Maliki's government under the name of The 1920 Revolution Brigade. All 11, however, have issued identical demands, said the insurgent representatives and government officials.

posted June 29, 2006 12:16 AM              

Well these groups making this pact will probably have an affect on other groups also.

posted June 29, 2006 07:03 PM              

That would be the best case scenario, yes.

By "well-structured" I mean a new government, police force, army, schools, hospitals, etc all in place and operating. What word were you thinking of?

posted June 29, 2006 10:09 PM              

Some people dont know what it is, some do know, and other people's views on this are constantly swaying. The best thing to do is remain adaptable...if the insurgents continue fighting back then there wont be anything left in Iraq. They just want the US military out of their country.

posted June 29, 2006 10:29 PM              

"Hope it's one who will put the Iraqi people first."

*sigh* It sure would be nice.

I read recently in the New York times (hear that, Jwhop?) that school attendance rates in Baghdad are up higher than they were during the Saddam days.

Hope springs eternal ....