Talking to Groups that Use Terror.pdf - United States Institute of Peace

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Step 3Open ChannelsInitiating talks with groups that use terror is often difficult for a host ofreasons. Terrorist and government leaders—and mediators trying topromote dialogue between terrorists and governments—may wantgestures of good faith from the other side before talks begin, even thoughno good faith exists. Constituents on both sides have long becomeaccustomed to viewing the potential interlocutors as enemies and even asfundamentally evil, and initiating talks with the other side may thus beseen as unrealistic or unconscionable.There are, however, many ways to begin a dialogue with terrorist groups.At one end of this broad spectrum are very roundabout approaches thatinvolve no official representatives of either side; at the other end are directand public contacts between the mediator or negotiator and the PAG. Inmost cases, and especially those cases where political cover is required,indirect approaches should be tried first. Parties to the conflict can usetrusted intermediaries, such as a friendly state or a trusted privateindividual, so that parties do not have to engage each other. In cases ofmediation (rather than negotiation), the mediator himself or herself canprovide political cover (the parties engage the mediator, not each other) orthe mediator himself or herself may choose to use a more distant approach.track 1½ or track II can also be helpful in providing political cover and indiscovering whether the two sides have anything to talk about.Contacts may begin in secret and through third parties, but they needto be backed by public statements indicating openness to negotiate underwhatever conditions are appropriate, and ultimately transitioned toformal, public processes. The advent of formal talks does not necessarilymean the end of indirect or covert contacts, because the latter may behelpful in overcoming roadblocks encountered in the formal discussions.45
Peacemaker’s ToolkitThis chapter outlines a variety of ways of opening channels with PAGs.These are arranged in a spectrum that runs from the most indirect to themost direct of approaches. If an initial approach proves promising, amediator or negotiator may well opt to move further along the spectrum,switching to increasingly direct channels as the prospects for fruitfuldiscussion grow. Ultimately, this path may lead to full, direct, and publicnegotiations.However, it is important to note that most openings do not lead tofull-blown negotiations. A failure to progress to direct talks often occursbecause the parties discover they have little to say to one another and littleinterest in trading concessions. In some instances, though, this lack ofprogression reflects the fact that one party never wanted to advancebeyond an initial move, which was conceived not as the start of talks butas an alternative to talks.Choose from a Spectrum of Engagement OptionsConduct Talks on the SidelinesDiscussions on the sidelines of international conferences whose subjectmatter is apolitical can set the stage for more serious political talks.Business, scientific, and academic conferences provide a venue for tappingthe thoughts of attendees who might be members of a PAG or have closepersonal or professional ties to mid- or top-level leaders of a PAG.Mediators and negotiators, or individuals in contact with them, canuse such forums to identify common interests and areas of futurecooperation outside of the political realm, as well as to evaluate aproscribed organization’s legitimacy to determine whether it is a genuinerepresentative of a distinct constituency whose needs and concerns arereflected by the organization’s leadership.The term “talks on the sidelines” or a “meeting on the margins” denotesthis type of approach: it is unofficial and informal, providing politicalcover to mediators and negotiators who want to explore the views of theirinterlocutors prior to an actual engagement.In Iraq, Sunni insurgents approached senior U.S. military officers duringa regional business conference in Kuwait City in early 2004 seeking apolitical opening and an end to the conflict in Iraq’s Sunni tribal areas.46
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Page 94 and 95: ConclusionThis handbook has focused
Page 96 and 97: Conclusionbetween PAGs and governme
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Notes12. Dudouet, Mediating Peace w
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AcknowledgmentsThe editors are grat
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Peacemaker’s ToolkitClingendael.
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Peacemaker’s ToolkitNancy Zirkin,
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