Guest, the first Bush did negotiate with Saddam. He put him in power. Under certain US administrations as they did with Latin American dictators such as Noriega, negotiations occur all the time.
Negotiations go on with Khadaffi regardless of his past behavior.

It was ironic that the first words out of a captured Saddam's mouth was "let's negotiate." Why did he say that? Because it was done before.

CarolC, where did Saddam get all those WMD's? He didn't have
the means to produce them. And guess what, the UN inspectors got in
there and destroyed them all. That's why you can't find them in Iraq today. The inspectors were successful and they did contain Saddam.
(And as a footnote, Khadaffi was also contained.)

Guest, negotiations are made when there is no other option left short of killing. The madness comes when negotiations break down. No win-win left. The theme of this thread is constant. There is a Right-Wing plan to dispense with negotiations that are unfavorable to the Bush Administration and to employ bogus pre-emptive strikes instead. This is madness. It is causing havoc in Iraq and Afghanistan and like a disease could spread to Syria and Korea. It's almost a James Bond-like villain saying, "Today, Iraq, tomorrow the world!"

And now the Bush Administration has the gall to go hat in hand to the
UN and say "We made this mess, now help us out." (Not a direct quote but the implication is clear.) And the UN believes in negotiations
so they will.

The Shi'ites want their form of democracy in Iraq and Bush wants his.
How they "negotiate" this will be interesting to see.

Meanwhile, Al Queda under the negligence of the Bush Administration
grows stronger and multiplies like extensive cells over the world.
And Ashcroft has another code yellow or orange and Bush says "Go shopping and fly".

"Our faith cries out, we have no fear.
We dare to reach our hand
To other neighbors far and near
To friends in every land"..................if only.

Isn't this a time.

Frank