Ex-Spy Sits Down With Islamists And The West

Alastair Crooke has spent much of his career talking to Islamists.
Bryan Denton for The New York Times

From New York Times:

TALKING to Islamists is the new order of the day in Washington and London. The Obama administration wants a dialogue with Iran, and the British Foreign Office has decided to reopen diplomatic contacts with Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group based here.

But for several years, small groups of Western diplomats have made quiet trips to Beirut for confidential sessions with members of Hamas, Hezbollah and other Islamist groups they did not want to be seen talking to. In hotel conference rooms, they would warily shake hands, then spend hours listening and hashing out accusations of terrorism on one side and imperial arrogance on the other.

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My Comment: There has always been back doors for governments and organizations to talk to each other .... always. This article gives a little insight on how one of these "back doors" operate.