Speaking on Fox News, Mr Rumsfeld said the US regularly “facilitates” meetings between Iraqi officials and insurgents. US officials have said that the Iraq insurgency is growing, and Mr Rumsfeld admitted the revolt could last up to a dozen years. Rumsfelds spin session on Fox came after the London Sunday Times newspaper said that two meetings took place north of Baghdad.

“I would not make a big deal out of it,” Rumsfeld told Fox News, “Meetings go on frequently with people.”…”I think the attention to this is overblown.”

It is becoming obvious the Bush administration is becoming weak and desperate in this fake war, when they have to resort to negotiations with insurgents. Bush himself is scheduled to address this on Tuesday.

Quoting Iraqi sources, the Sunday Times said insurgent commanders “apparently came face to face” with four American officials during the talks held on 3 and 13 June at a summer villa near Balad, about 40 miles north of Baghdad.

The Sunday Times also said the insurgents included representatives of Ansar al-Sunna, which has carried out numerous suicide bombings, as well as lesser known groups such as Mohammed’s Army, the Islamic Army in Iraq and Jaish Mohammed.

One of the Americans at the talks introduced himself as a Pentagon representative and declared himself ready to “find ways of stopping the bloodshed on both sides and to listen to demands and grievances,” The Sunday Times said. Also reported was this Pentagon representative indicated that the results of the talks would be relayed to his superiors in Washington.

The US officials tried to gather information about the structure, leadership and operations of the insurgent groups, which irritated some members, who had been told the talks would consider their main demand, a timetable for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, the report said.

The Iraq insurgents identified by the Sunday Times have denied any participation in the talks.