Iraq Will Wait To Disarm Militias

[ECH1969]

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in an interview with USA TODAY that his government will not force militias to disarm until later this year or early next year, despite escalating violence in Baghdad fueled by death squads and religious warfare.

The prime minister criticized the U.S.-led military coalition for an overreliance on force, which he called the "wrong approach."

"Terrorism and militias — especially militias — cannot be dealt with only by using tanks, guns and aircraft," he said.

Al-Maliki said he has rejected U.S. plans to launch large-scale operations into Sadr City, a Baghdad slum and a stronghold of the Mahdi Army, a powerful militia loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr's political organization controls several Cabinet positions and 30 seats in the parliament.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2006-10-15-al-maliki_x.htm?csp=34

[Monkeyman]

1. Yep lets wait an see how many more GI's we can kill

[Nolo_Contendre]

2. When military force is your only tool, every solution seems to require it

The Bush morans are not skilled enough to use brainpower because they reject anyone intelligent who doesn't fit their precast ideological mold.

[rpannier]

3. Kinda of like...

the Mayor of Kabul...I mean...President of Afghanistan.
That was what he and the US decided to do. And now half the Provinces are ruled by various Warlords.
Another example of what happens whem you take your eye off the ball and inadequately plan for after the War.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. and how do you "disarm" a militia?

Something tells me setting up a table in downtown Baghdad and offering concert tickets in exchange for guns might not work...

[ECH1969]

6. You tell them you disarm or we are going to do it for you

and it won't be nice if we do it for you. And, then back up what you say if they don't disarm.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

11. and...

if those you wish to disarm are better armed than you are... then what?

[ECH1969]

12. huh

Let me put this into a context you can understand.

A religious leader (Sadr, Hakim, or Jerry Falwell) decides to arm several thousand people. They use their followers to kidnap and kill others for money to fund their church. They then start killing cops in towns they have taken over.

Would the United States allow that to go on? That is exactly what is occuring in Iraq.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

13. it isn't a matter of "allowing" it

It is a matter of the mighty Iraqi military being unable to stop it - or so saturated with militants that they really don't much care what the government of collaborators orders them to do in the first place.

[Yupster]

14. It's a real mess

Who knows who's militia and who's just citizen?

I read Bremer's book, and not fdealing with the Mehdi Army early on was one of their biggest mistakes. They planned to capture the guy about 10 times but something always stopped them. It's a real mess.

Then there's the Peshmerga. They aren't going to disarm. They're the only fighters that can be relied on. There's no way they're going to disarm and leave Kurdistan open to attack. We don't even want them disarmed, and they would seceed if forced to.

What a mess.

[Eugene]

5. Al-Maliki has given in to the militias.

Iraq does not have until next year to stop the civil war.
The militias are ripping the country apart and he just
refused to stand up to them. They have too much power
in the the government.

If the al-Maliki's government won't stop the gunmen,
then Iraq is finished.

[brooklynite]

9. No, he's really going after the NRA vote...

[rodeodance]

7. and the peace talks have been delayed indefinately.

[rodeodance]

8. Irag on hold till after the US elections.

[gratuitous]

10. "Wait to disarm" sounds much nicer than . . .

How sweet; they will "wait to disarm" the militias. Sounds so . . . you know, nice. Like they could do it any old time they pleased, but they're going to wait a little while. Like you might wait until this afternoon to take out the garbage, or wait until tomorrow to start painting the fence. No big hurry. It'll keep.

It sounds so much nicer than admitting that they have absolutely no control over the situation, and that the guys with the most ammo are the ones ruling street by street in Sadr City. No, we'll "wait to disarm" them; almost sounds like there's a matter of choice involved, doesn't it?