Iraqi presidency advisor did not meet with militants -- statement

Iraqi presidency advisor did not meet with militants -- statement BAGHDAD, April 21 (KUNA) -- The Iraqi Presidency denied that a senior advisor had held talks with former officers with militant connections in Amman Saturday.
Lieutenant General Wafiq Al-Samarrae, a military adviser to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, did not meet with the officers named or any others for political talks in Jordan, it was said.
Some of those who Samarrae reportedly sat down with are not in Jordan, he said, and he has "never" met most of them.
The President's attention remains focused on national reconciliation efforts, he added. Al-Samarrae also said that during the past year, militants have been reaching out, which was released to the media, but no contacts have been made "recently" with him, he asserted.
This comes one day after Talabani called for the creation of a political front for moderates that should include the unified Iraqi coalition, the Kurdish coalition, and the Islamic party and other political parties who believe in a united democratic Iraq.(end) mhg.go KUNA 211307 Apr 07NNNN