'Negotiating with the "Enemy: perspectives past and present' is a conference at the University of London, Friday 24 September 2010; web link which is acall for papers and gives a point of contact: http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/empire-an...ncy1-cfp.shtml

From the link:
Counterinsurgency, 'homeland security' and 'The War on Terror' have led to a renewed interest in historical case studies of counterinsurgency, including case studies from the British Empire and Commonwealth. There has been considerable debate, notably in the US and UK , of military strategies, 'winning hearts and minds' through civil programmes, and policing for international operations. But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , and the peace process in Northern Ireland , demonstrate that another, relatively neglected area can have a major impact on such campaigns. This is the 'negotiation' with, and 'persuasion' of, militant elites and their key civilian supporters. The Northern Ireland peace process was developed through complex, often secret, contacts. The Iraqi insurgency was turned around as much through the 'Anbar Awakening' as by a 'surge' and new American counterinsurgency policy. The question of how to negotiate, persuade and buy over Taliban leaders and supporters came to the fore in Afghanistan policy in 2009 to 2010. This workshop will look at a wide variety of ways and contexts, contemporary and historical, in which 'enemy' leaders (military and civilian) have been targeted for persuasion and negotiation.