No amnesty for killers of U.S. troops - Iraqi PM

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IBO833745.htm

No amnesty for killers of U.S. troops - Iraqi PM

BAGHDAD, June 28 (Reuters) - Insurgents who have killed U.S. troops in Iraq would not be pardoned under the Iraqi government's amnesty plan, American newspapers quoted Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as saying on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Maliki, a Shi'ite who has pledged to ease violence gripping Iraq, unveiled a "national reconciliation" that included an amnesty for insurgents "who did not take part in criminal and terrorist acts and war crimes".

"The amnesty doesn't include those who have killed Iraqis or even coalition forces because those soldiers came to Iraq under international agreements to help Iraq," Maliki said in an interview with a group of newspapers that included The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.

The announcement of the vaguely worded plan prompted a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers to condemn any move that would pardon insurgents who had attacked U.S. soldiers. More than 2,500 American soldiers have died in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

Maliki has said the plan is aimed at bringing Sunni Arab insurgents into the political process.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Well, that certainly makes it OK. That place is really coming along nicely

All this worry over Iraq for nothing. Silly us.

[burf]

3. Is that a "Flip" or a "Flop" ?

[Dhalgren]

2. This, in effect, negates any amnesty for any insurgent. The plan

is dead. Americans will never grow up, never understand the concept of "responsibility". We are a lie...

[Nickster]

6. Well another way to look at it, you get the political cover of saying

that you never gave amnesty to people who actually killed anyone, but on the other hand, how the heck is anyone going to prove or disprove that someone actually killed American troops or Iraqi civilians? So you can give amnesty but never actually be held accountable for giving it to people who actually killed our troops.

[patrice]

4. So he's pardoning people who haven't done anything?

Except support Insurgents in various ways . . . . So what is the incentive to stop helping with the killing?

[acmavm]

5. Is this what they call a 'deal breaker'? What is he offering

anyone that they'd even care about?

The guy's in a lose/lose situation. The Iraqis want amnesty, bush** can't afford that, he'd be roasted alive.

[shaniqua6392]

7. How will they discern between those who killed Americans

and those who did not??? Ask them??? Did you kill American troops??? No. O.K. You are free to go. WTF?

[endarkenment]

8. No Peace.

I see the sovereignty of the King of the Green Zone is still intact.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. So amnesty forf Iraqi civilians are killed by insurgents vs. American

military must mean that the lives of Iraqi civilians are worth less than American lives.

Got it.

[LynnTheDem]

10. Yeah those Geneva Conventions and international laws are just so

outdated and quaint, anyways.

[LynnTheDem]

11. And WTF is "soldiers came to Iraq under international agreements"

What about the UN calling the illegal invasion of Iraq "ILLEGAL" equates to "international agreements"???

Keep on fooling the ignorant Americans, but the rest of the world -Iraq included- ain't fooled, Mr. "PM".

[Supersedeas]

12. I guess Maliki finally got the memo from his bosses