Iraq's President Jalal Talabani says he is willing to hold talks with insurgents and members of the ousted government, but al-Qaida in Iraq rejected any possibility of dialogue.
Speaking at a reconciliation conference in Cairo, Mr. Talabani said he would meet with any Iraqi citizen, even those he called "criminals."
He also called on insurgents to disarm and join the political process. But al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in an Internet statement that it would continue launching attacks.
In new violence Monday, at least four Iraqis were killed and 10 others wounded in a car bomb explosion in Kanan, a town north of Baghdad. Police say the bomb was apparently aimed at a passing U.S. military convoy.
Meanwhile, a White House spokesman Trent Duffy says it is "highly unlikely" Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a raid Saturday, as some reports have said.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
