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| Iraq-Jordan |
| In Iraqi villages - Business Booms for Arms Traders |
| 2004-04-15 |
| ...According to a youth who peddles in bullets in the village's main market, the community's wealth of weapons comes from a Republican Guard brigade base that was abandoned during the war. "We sell weapons, but we don't get involved in the resistance, and we don't care if our buyers use the weapons to resist the Americans, to rob or to murder," the youngster said. Diala provincial police are trying to shut down the weapons vendors but are not having much success. "We caught some of the arms sellers in Diala, but there are others out there," said policeman Khaled Rahman. Unreliable officers may be warning weapons traders, as the police force no longer requires the tight background checks that the former regime insisted on. "Anyone can join the Iraqi police in this current situation," Rahman said. "It's possible that some members of the resistance are also members of the police." Many locals are proud that Diala is serving as Iraq's arsenal. As a result, said money-changer Hamed Hussein, locals do not inform the police about the trade, and let the vendors know if they hear of any impending raids "so they can quickly clear out". But Diala is not just a market for arms, it also is a showcase for their use. At 9.00 pm, the main market in the provincial capital of Baaqouba empties as US forces respond to the apparent discovery of a bomb. Minutes later, a pop, a shrill hiss and a blast signify an RPG-7 attack. This time, no one is hurt. Traders say it's a common tactic employed by insurgents is to issue a fake bomb threat, then ambush the Americans when they come to defuse it. "The Americans clear out the place, then gather together in an easy target for a rocket," said local Jasem Halim. He says it is "the best way to attack a large number of US vehicles while keeping the citizens safe". |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #1 Traders say it's a common tactic employed by insurgents is to issue a fake bomb threat, then ambush the Americans when they come to defuse it. "The Americans clear out the place, then gather together in an easy target for a rocket," said local Jasem Halim. He says it is "the best way to attack a large number of US vehicles while keeping the citizens safe". Maybe it's time to stop responding to bomb threats and let folks at the location defuse them on their own. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-04-15 2:17:31 AM |