Negotiating with terrorists

How would talks with al Qaeda go? According to the Godfather, something like this:

It's dangerous because these are people that genuinely want to wipe us out, and there's a significant portion of our population that does not realize that. Look it, let me try another analogy with you. Let's say that we're going to negotiate with -- pick a terrorist group -- Al-Qaeda. What's Al-Qaeda's sworn mission? (See, you gotta have courage to admit this, though.)

Al-Qaeda's sworn mission is to kill us. That is the mission of militant Islam. It's to wipe out infidels, and we are the worst of all because we are Christian and we are Western. Okay. We're going to negotiate with these people. Their starting point is: you're dead. "We're not stopping 'til you're dead."

What's our counter? Do we say, "Uh, okay. How about, will you let us live for 50 years?"

"No. We're going to wipe you out in 30."

"Okay, well, uh, will you only take an arm from each of us for the first 50 years?"

"Nope. We're going to kill you all as soon as we can."

"No, no, no, no. That's not fair! We're negotiating with you. Will you settle for two arms and let us live?"

"Nope. Our mission is to kill you, infidel."

"Okay, uh, how about an arm and a leg and let us live for 50 years?"

"No! We are not compromising."

"Okay, how about if you kill half of us, the Republicans? If we give you the Republicans, will you --"

"No! We are going to kill all of you."

My point is, where do you negotiate with this? How do you negotiate with people whose objective is to kill you, Ms. Blumner? I'm sorry. I know it's a hard, cold reality we all have to face here, ladies and gentlemen.

"Well, how about if we let you have the Republicans and Mel Gibson?"

"No, we are going to kill every one of you, and you will be first."

That's how John Kerry would do it. How do you negotiate with that, folks? On what threshold or basis is there reason for any kind of settlement?