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Iraqi Amnesty?
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
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AMERICAN forces are negotiating an amnesty with Sunni insurgents in Iraq to try to defuse the nascent civil war and pave the way for disarmament of Shia militias.
The tactic marks a dramatic reversal of policy by the US military, which blocked attempts to pardon insurgents with American blood on their hands after handing over sovereignty to a secular Iraqi Government in June 2004.
The U-turn comes amid the bloodiest fighting for two years and growing domestic opposition to the war as Americans prepare to vote in mid-term elections.
The US military yesterday announced the deaths of a marine and seven soldiers, raising to 86 the number of American service members killed in October - the highest monthly toll this year.
Six soldiers were killed on Sunday, three by small-arms fire west of the capital and three by roadside bombs within Baghdad.
The end of Ramadan holy month, the highlight of the Muslim year, was marked by further violence as militants targeted police recruits and shoppers rounding up last-minute sweets to celebrate the end of the fast.
On Sunday, at least 44 Iraqis were reported killed across the country. In the bloodiest attack, gunmen in five sedans ambushed a convoy of buses carrying police recruits near the city of Baqouba, 55km northeast of Baghdad, killing at least 15 and wounding 25 others.
Even as US President George W. Bush convened emergency talks with his generals and national security advisers to review strategy in Iraq, commanders on the ground were negotiating a peace deal. Observers expect leaders of the Sunni insurgency to join a peace conference early next month.
"There's been a change in the position of the Americans," said Jabr Hadeeb Jabr, an independent Shia politician and member of the Council for Reconciliation government agency.
"Before, they refused to give any amnesty to the people killing Americans because there was some dispute about the risk of rewarding their killers."
Another Iraqi MP, Izzat Shabander, a member of the secular Iraqiya bloc, said: "This amnesty is coming because the American military are always pressuring the Iraqi Government to give a general amnesty to all fighters, even those who killed Iraqis."
Mr Jabr said it was possible that two of the main insurgent groups - the Islamic Army and the 1920s Revolutionary Brigades - could participate at a national reconciliation conference next month.
In tandem with the US initiative, Iraqi religious leaders are trying to stem the bloodshed.
On Friday, 29 senior Sunni and Shia leaders met in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to urge their communities not to shed Muslim blood, to free hostages and to allow hundreds of thousands of ethnically cleansed people to return home.
Mr Jabr said the Mecca fatwa, or edict, was aimed at isolating Iraqi nationalists from al-Qa'ida fanatics, who have a global agenda of attacking the West and imposing an Islamic state on Iraq.
Salman al-Jumeili, a deputy from the main Sunni bloc Twafoq, said the amnesty reports had caught Sunni politicians by surprise. "I'm betting this must be part of a dialogue between the resistance and the Americans," he said.
The plan - still officially under wraps - would be to isolate Iraqi guerillas from al-Qaida by offering an amnesty and a date for a US withdrawal and to use the resistance's highly sophisticated intelligence network to stamp out foreign Islamist fighters and criminal gangs.
"The promise that on a certain date (US forces) would leave the country is hugely important for Iraqi citizens," Mr Jumeili said. "I think a great deal of the resistance would accept a general amnesty as an important step."
But the Shia-dominated Government is dragging its heels about granting amnesty to fighters who have killed Iraqi policemen and soldiers.
Amnesty proponents hope that once the threat from terrorist bombs has diminished, Shia militias would have no cause to remain under arms. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose two main Shia government partners run the two largest militias, might then be able to negotiate a disarmament program.
US troops could deploy to neighbouring countries, leaving military advisers with Iraqi government troops. They would be ready to return if necessary. |
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your thoughts? at least it shows the US are willing to change direction and try something else. i think peace is more important than punishing insurgent fighters at this stage. |
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| shaolin_Z |
| quote: | Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
at least it shows the US are willing to change direction and try something else. |
:eyespop: I can't believe you just wrote that. |
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
| quote: | Originally posted by shaolin_Z
:eyespop: I can't believe you just wrote that. |
:conf: meaning? |
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| erdega |
| it doesn't mean anything really, just a posturing for domestic consumption. American army can't defend anywhere let alone the deserts of Iraq, they are trained to overwhelm and kill and be done with it . Americans and their "allies" are on the losing side politically and militarily and are just looking for ways to cut the losses and save face but I am afraid it will end much more brutally and not to their liking and the people at home will be forced to hold their military and government responsible |
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| Magnetonium |
| quote: | Originally posted by erdega
it doesn't mean anything really, just a posturing for domestic consumption. American army can't defend anywhere let alone the deserts of Iraq, they are trained to overwhelm and kill and be done with it . Americans and their "allies" are on the losing side politically and militarily and are just looking for ways to cut the losses and save face but I am afraid it will end much more brutally and not to their liking and the people at home will be forced to hold their military and government responsible |
As much as I said it before on a different thread on here but was criticized that it was a waaaaaaay incorrect comparison - but - Iraq is turning out to be yet another Vietnam for America. The war is getting out of hand, the insurgents are strongers, people are becoming very unhappy that things are not getting better. Plus Americans havent rebuilt Iraq for most part, only things that concern their own security or strategy, but not public schools, hospitals and other life-important stuff across Iraq.
USA is making the same mistakes again ... Its not going after the true problems ... not at all ... |
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| pkcRAISTLIN |
| quote: | Originally posted by Magnetonium
As much as I said it before on a different thread on here but was criticized that it was a waaaaaaay incorrect comparison - but - Iraq is turning out to be yet another Vietnam for America. The war is getting out of hand, the insurgents are strongers, people are becoming very unhappy that things are not getting better. Plus Americans havent rebuilt Iraq for most part, only things that concern their own security or strategy, but not public schools, hospitals and other life-important stuff across Iraq.
USA is making the same mistakes again ... Its not going after the true problems ... not at all ... |
so, what- youre blaming the US for failing in their rebuilding efforts? not say, the insurgents that regularly sabotage these projects? ok. |
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| Magnetonium |
| quote: | Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN
so, what- youre blaming the US for failing in their rebuilding efforts? not say, the insurgents that regularly sabotage these projects? ok. |
Judging by the occasional instances on TV where Anerucan trooops murder and rape civlians, then no matter how many buildings you construct, its a losing battle ;-) You need to win the hearts and the minds of the civilian population, which American and British forces are losing every day. Oh, I remember back couple years ago Bush said the major hostilities were over ... oooooooops! Its like almost everything that comes out of Bush's mouth is a lie or some dumb remark. Face the reality - the war in Iraq is getting worse by the week. And what effective methods does American government have to solve this problem? You really think that by giving amnesty to fighters these guys will fold their weapons? For them this shows thw weakness in the American resolve, and will give them more reasons to continue fighting, the way I see it. Its a dead end. |
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| Purple |
| AMERICAN forces are also 'negotiating' with Taliban a 'peace' deal.. good thing first you invade.. than you bribe them. |
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