Discarded: Should governments negotiate with terrorist groups?

per comments

Probably not.  I like this idea better when applied to enemy foreign states like Syria and Iran.  The we also have that one cookin on the "Iraqi resistance."

on second thought - is there a public figure under the sun that will answer yes?

I think you'll see an abundance of NO's on this issue, but it seems a fair question to ask.  The quotes on the YESs would make for an interesting dialogue.

I think there may be people who would reasonably argue that governments should negotiate with terrorist groups.  The idea is that such groups are after certain goals and negotiations may help to end the need for the organization and thus destroy it more effectively.  Such a concept is particularly relevant when the "terrorist group" also happens to be the ruling government of another state.

However, on second thought, who argues that we ever should? I think that almost everyone would say not to negotiate. The rub comes in specific contexts, like Iran or Israel and the Palestinians, to settle things like wars. Maybe this is subsumed under the more specific issues about specific situations.

Seems pretty straightforward in comparison with the Iran/Iraq situation! There is beauty in simplicity.

Fair indeed. 

Fair question.