Rice: U.S. Will Not Negotiate for Soldier Release

The United States will not negotiate for the release of a missing American soldier being held by insurgents in Iraq the U.S. national security adviser said on Sunday.

Rice said while efforts were continuing to obtain the release of hostages, "I think you can be certain that negotiations with terrorists are not on this president's agenda."

Rice said, "We are working as you might imagine to try and see what can be done to free hostages but it has to be understood in the context of not allowing the intimidation of either the United States or its allies, or the Iraqi people for that matter."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=2&u=/nm/20040418/ts_nm/iraq_usa_soldier_dc
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The president -- rather than sliding over the scandalous Iraqi desertions, the insurgency that has killed more than 80 American troops since April 1, and the new troop buildup -- ought to be demanding answers, especially of the Pentagon Pollyannas. He needs to know not only why the Iraqis failed to perform but also the impact of their disloyalty and lack of courage on Pentagon plans to put an Iraqi face on that country's defense. If Iraqis won't stand up against Iraqi and other Arab insurgents, why should Americans do the fighting and dying for them? A firm and determined president won't settle for happy talk.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19001-2004Apr16.html
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Revolts in Iraq Deepen Crisis In Occupation:

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/fcstorymod/int/Related%20News%20Stories/nm/iraq_usa_soldier_dc/*http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1802&e=22&u=/washpost/20040418/ts_washpost/a20690_2004apr17

who wears designer dresses and $150 haircuts to say.

of not negotiating with terrorists have to do with this?

referred to as hostages? Aren't they POWs? We don't call the Iraqis we've captured hostages.

I am sure that Bush and company are smacking their lips in anticipation of the "insurgents" putting that boy to death, hopefully capturing the murder on videotape so that they can flash it back to American television screens, in the hopes that it will get us riled up against the Iraqis.

I don't put anything past the neocons.

During the Autumn of 1993 U.S. Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni now the Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command returned to the war-torn city of Mogadishu, Somalia to negotiate the release of an American soldier who had been taken prisoner during a failed attempt to capture Somali warlord Mohammed Aidid.
http://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/defense/comanch.htm

:kick: