Talking to Islamists

Friday, May 16

President George Bush yesterday characterised "negotiation with terrorists and radicals" as "appeasement" during a speech to the Israeli Knesset.

Yet despite Bush's reluctance, the debate over whether and how to engage in dialogue with armed Islamist groups is raging within both Middle Eastern and Western capitals.

As Islamists continue to compete for political power within Muslim states, the West may be forced to accept their legitimacy as political actors -- if not their terrorist tactics -- and engage in dialogue.

Divided West

Isolating Hizbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood has been particularly difficult because both groups are viewed as legitimate political parties in some Western countries:

• In Belgium, Hizbollah meets with state officials.
• Other European countries have not designated Hizbollah as a terrorist organisation, and it is absent from the EU's list of banned terror groups.
• On the other hand, Washington rejects Hamas, despite its victory in the January 2006 Palestinian elections.

Engagement with Islamist groups is fraught with dangers and potential drawbacks, and can risk empowering them. But without diplomatic feelers, it is difficult to properly assess the nature of the threat posed by the enemy's goals, intentions, and long-term objectives.

Defusing Islamist terrorism may involve allowing such groups to contribute to the flow of ideas and politics of their host countries.