Posted on 10/25/2006 8:25:52 AM PDT by MNJohnnie
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1725292/posts?page=1
Iraqi Government Plans to Demobilize Illegal Militias
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2006 – The Iraqi government has plans to demobilize all illegal militias, including radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s so-called “Mahdi Army,” the senior U.S. diplomat in Iraq said today.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki “has agreed to getting rid of the militias,” U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters at a Baghdad news conference.
Illegal militias that commit violence and murder need to be dealt with, Khalilzad said, noting the Iraqi government recognizes that fact.
Maliki wants to demobilize all the militias, including al-Sadr’s, Khalilzad said. Yet, he noted, U.S. officials don’t have direct contact with Sadr, although there is some interaction with some of Sadr’s representatives in the Iraqi Assembly.
Khalilzad said he believes that an integrated, political approach is the best way to try to convince militia leaders to disband their men and stack arms.
However, Maliki doesn’t rule out the use of force to coerce the militias to disband, Khalilzad said. “We will see what happens,” he added.
Khalilzad said he believes the Iraqi government is taking the right path in addressing the militia issue. Iraq’s prime minister is anxious for Iraqis to assume more security roles and responsibilities, to include dealing the problem of militias, the ambassador said.
Meanwhile, U.S., coalition and Iraqi security forces “are actively tracking, targeting, detaining people who are operating in death squads, and their leadership, who are breaking the law,” Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said.
When Iraq’s government zeroes in on the militia issue, then the Iraqi security forces will become the dominant security forces in the country, Casey predicted.
“I think it will happen,” he said.
Corzine... ptui
That still mystifies me. We'll be cleaning up his mess too, for years.
Can you give us a Readers Digest condensed form?
LLS
ACORN accused of more bogus election forms"
Well, that and the fact that we now have a DemocRAT Secretary of State.
Am I the only one who heard him last week bring up the Manhattan Project for Iraq and Islam? That he hasn't elaborated on? C'mon, Rush, talk to us!
Exactly, the whole fuss is not about the Pubbies being against the research, it's that the pubbies are against Gov't funding.
Dems are doing a rope-a-dope, look at this hand (ESC research), while the real prize (Gov't funding) is in the other.
You got close. Daffy Duck per Rush!!
"Is it safe to come out from under the bar yet?"
Please let me know when you find out.....I'm late for work!!! I have the body armor on, but no helmet! ;>)
You forget -- there ARE NO real blacks with (R) after their names. Remember that from now on!!
It's all about misinformation and deliberate distortions of the facts. It's very frustrating.
They tried exactly the same thing in 2004. It didn't work for them then. I am curious why they are trying it again.
It really POs the pro life conservatives (as it should).
I think Rush is exchanging that Can of Worms for a Jar of WhoopAss!! ;>)
I can understand OF but not A. Hun.
Kinda caught me by surprise.
I agree that people need to read the thread themselves. I also saw that Mark was defending his position with facts, and also defending the honor of a fellow FReeper. ALl in all, it was a healthy debate by some, and personal attacks by others. I will leave it to you all to determine which was which ;-)I was merely observing the room from afar, and these are my impressions alone.
They use the smoke screen to cover the real issue.
I just hope the lounge gets back to normal.
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