Defining "terrorist"

Taking a hard line:

The United States will not let up in the war on terror despite bin Laden's latest threats, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "We do not negotiate with terrorists," McClellan said. "We put them out of business." His sentiments were echoed by Vice President Dick Cheney.

Except, of course, when we negotiate with terrorists:

Iraq's national security adviser complained bitterly in an interview published about secret US contacts with Iraqi insurgents, warning that the "policy of appeasement" would undermine security.

National Security Adviser Mowaffak Rubaie told the Washington Times that the contacts with so-called Iraqi "rejectionists" were being carried out behind the back of the Shiite-dominated government.

As I said yesterday, a certain amount of talking makes sense. Doing so behind the back of the Iraqi government, however, seems like the bad way to do it.