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Surrender talks
U.S. officials said Wednesday that surrender negotiations have secretly begun with key Iraqi military officials in hopes that some military units will not fight in a possible war. One senior official said that some parts of the Iraqi military already may have agreed not to fight. These efforts underscore assessments by the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency that the leadership around Saddam Hussein is brittle. Officials have been making that view somewhat public as part of an effort to publicize what they say is Saddam's vulnerability. The officials said they could not give specifics, citing concern that Saddam would enact retribution. |