Iraq President Jalal Talabani today said that insurgent groups have responded to his call for talks and have contacted his office. ‘‘We are receiving calls from groups who claim to be from the resistance and they are expressing their support for meetings’’ with the government, Talabani told reporters. ‘‘We want to convince every sincere Iraqi who is carrying arms to come and participate in the political process,’’ he added. Talabani did not name the groups that contacted his office, but residents of Anbar province said on Thursday that four insurgent groups that are active in that area are conferring among themselves to chose a representative to meet government officials. The Iraqi Islamic Army, the 1920 revolution group, the Mujahedeen Army and Al-Jamea brigades were asked by the President’s office to chose one person to come forward with their demands, according to the residents who have contacts with the insurgents. The residents, however, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Speaking in Egypt last week during a reconciliation conference, Talabani said he was ready for talks. Talabani said the foreign troops in Iraq are not occupation forces, adding that the parliament that will be elected on December 15, will decide when non-Iraqi troops will leave. Plot to kill Saddam judge foiled Baghdad: Iraqi police said they smashed an Al-Qaeda cell plotting to kill the Chief judge in charge of building the case against ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, whose trial resumes tomorrow after a five-week recess.‘‘We arrested 12 members of a cell linked to the Iraqi branch of Al-Qaeda during a raid on a house in eastern Kirkuk in Iraq,’’ police colonel Anwar Kader said yesterday. ‘‘They confessed to planning to kill (Chief judge) Raed Al-Juhi this week,’’ he added. AFP
