Iraqi leader: Militias to be dissolved

AP on Yahoo ^ | 10/5/06 | Qassim Albdul--Zahra - ap

[NormsRevenge]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A political solution must be found to the problem of Iraq's sectarian violence that will lead to militias to "dissolve themselves," Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Thursday ahead of talks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Al-Maliki is under intensified pressure to find an end to the Shiite-Sunni killings that have torn Iraq apart for months despite the government's calls for militias — many of which have ties to parties in the government — to put down their arms.

On route to Baghdad on Thursday, Rice underlined that Iraq's leaders "don't have time for endless debate of these issues. They have really got to move forward."

"The dissolution of militia must be through the political powers. There is more than one way leading to a solution, and the militias will dissolve themselves," al-Maliki told the Associated Press during an "iftar" dinner, the meal that ends the daily Ramadan fast.

"Militias do not conform with a government. Political parties have militias and they are part of the government and participate in the political process. The parties are required to dissolve these militias," he said.

Al-Maliki has frequently called for militias to be dissolved, insisting that weapons must only be in the hands of national security forces. But Sunni leaders have accused the government of balking at moving forcefully against Shiite militias blamed in much of the violence because of their links to Shiite political parties.

[Allegra]

"Militias do not conform with a government. Political parties have militias and they are part of the government and participate in the political process. The parties are required to dissolve these militias," he said.

OK, noowww you're getting it, al-Maliki. You could have had this approach when Operation Forward Together began in early summer, but we'll take what we can get, as long as you get RID of Sadr's scum and Sadr himself. The Badr Brigade needs to go, too.

Bukhara insh'allah and all that. WASTE MOOKIE.

[Steel Wolf]

"Militias do not conform with a government. Political parties have militias and they are part of the government and participate in the political process. The parties are required to dissolve these militias," he said.

Interesting that this is a discussion that neatly avoids the Kurdish issue. They've sufficiently hedged their bets, so that regardless of whether or not the Sunnis and Shi'ites get their act together, Kurdistan will be armed.

As far as the Shia and Sunni are concerned, well, time will tell. I suspect that the militias won't go away for some time after the shooting stops, and even then, they'll keep their weapons where they can get at them.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Interesting that this is a discussion that neatly avoids the Kurdish issue."

The Kurds aren't the problem in Iraq. Neither Shia nor Sunni wants to screw with the Kurds. The Kurds will participate after the Shia and Sunni get their collective acts together.