Talking to Terrorists

Across the world governments proclaim that they will never `negotiate with evil'. And yet they always have done and always will.

Why then do we ignore the lessons of this history of clandestine communication, often with devastating consequences?

Jonathan Powell has spent nearly two decades mediating between governments and terrorist organisations. Here he argues that with attention to the lessons of the past, patience and above all political leadership, these conflicts can be solved.

A W. F....