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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraq postpones amnesty announcement |
| 2004-07-05 |
Monday, July 5, 2004 Posted: 12:01 PM EDT (1601 GMT) BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq’s interim government delayed indefinitely an announcement on a possible partial-amnesty deal for low-level insurgents, a spokesman for interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said Monday. Smart move, guys. Give the scum a taste of bootheel first before tossing them a bone. No sense in making nice to the hardcore types without showing them what awaits further resistance. Sunday, government spokesman George Sada told CNN that none of the "hard-core" criminals -- including those accused of murder -- would be eligible for amnesty. Only those who were "misled" by the leaders of the insurgency would qualify, he said. Gonna get some help from the Yemeni and Saudi courts to sort out these harmless types? However, many questions about a possible amnesty remain, including who would be covered by such a deal and how strict it would be. The interim government hopes to use a limited amnesty to weaken the ties within the insurgency between the former Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein and the militants, seen as a growing alliance. As with all theories, it looks better on paper than in real life. Iraqi official sources have told CNN that an amnesty could cover 5,000 supporters of Saddam Hussein’s former regime who are involved in the insurgency against Americans and the interim government. In exchange, they would be asked to disarm and for information leading to the capture or killing of insurgency leaders. Nudge, nuge ... ya hear that, Sadr? It was not clear if an amnesty would cover Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shiite Muslim cleric charged by an Iraqi court in the April 2003 murder of a rival. His Mehdi Army militia has battled U.S. and other coalition troops for weeks in the southern Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala and the surrounding area. Why has it not been made clear that there is no deal for Sadr on the books. It’s not like that would polarize things any more than they are already. Al-Sadr on Friday denounced the interim government in Iraq as no different from the U.S. occupation. In other news, Pope and bear. Tape at 11:00. Still, a less than subtle message to the interim Iraqi government. Sadr’s thugs have cheerfully been killing Americans. If they do not see any difference, then they have effectively just threatened to begin killing Iraqi government heads. Did that come through loud and clear, Allawi? Still, Allawi said on ABC’s "This Week" in a taped interview broadcast Sunday that al-Sadr had told the interim government through an intermediary that he wanted to participate in Iraq’s new political process. Good, make Sadr’s the second celebrity trial when Saddam’s is finished. That’s about all the "participation" Sadr deserves. |
| Posted by:Zenster |
| #2 I'd like to think this whole "amnesty" concept was merely a trial balloon to test the waters for readily available converts. However, its timing was entirely wrong, as may be its intentions too. It appears as more of an appeasement than any sort of functional disarmament tool and that is the biggest problem of all. Allawi would gain more "street cred" by going full bore against the insurgents before handing out any free passes. While he's pretty shorthanded at the moment, carefully husbanding Iraq's limited troop strength and making a good show of force in even just one select area (i.e., Fallujah) would make more sense than simply taking it laying down. Unfortunate as it is, many Middle Eastern cultures apparently respond best to fairly ruthless application of force. While it's important for them to eventually get over such a primative modus operandi, if it remains the only way of telegraphing serious intent, then Allawi must needs be consider doing so. Sadr's thugs display Neanderthal levels of finesse at best and don't deserve anything else in return. Flowery diplomacy seems pretty well lost on Sadr himself, so hoping that his cadres will comprehend much more than naked application of force is a lot to expect. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-07-05 3:26:04 PM |
| #1 As Yogi Berra sagaciously opined, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it!" Perhaps Allawi recognizes the "Arab Way" is worth reconsidering. We'll see. The amnesty idea has never been fully reported - who, said what, when, why, etc. Maybe it's essentially a press thingy. And, if so, prolly an Al Jizz ploy. We shall see. Until then, pfeh. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-07-05 3:03:19 PM |