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.
Hey Roc! Glad to hear you are still on the mend!
Dark side has the response vid, courtesy of Podesta:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/25/fox-limbaugh-parkinson/
Geez, he looks better and says his meds are working great.
Hmmm...
The question should be: If you were on your meds, did you overmedicate.
Me too. I like finding the truth of matters. FR shakes it out.
Me & Clint were thinking maybe Mark thought you were Attila D. Hun instead of you.
Thanks... it could change, CSPAM is famous for doing that last-minute. I'll keep checking later. Thanks tho.
I just came to. I had to have a bar stool surgically removed from the back of my head. The law is checking it for prints.
The lounge needs some work.
Anti-War Groups Recruiting U.S. Troops
Anti-war groups are trying to rally active troops to speak out against the war in Iraq - a political tactic they hope will sway voters Nov. 7.
A small group of active-duty members opposed to the war created a Web site last month intended to collect thousands of signatures of other service members. People can submit their name, rank and duty station if they support statements denouncing the U.S. invasion.
The electronic grievances are then passed along to members of Congress, according to the Web site.
"Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home," the Web site says.
Jonathan Hutto, a Navy seaman based in Norfolk, Va., who set up the Web site a month ago, said the group has collected 118 names and is trying to verify that they are legitimate service members.
She's a class act--apparently her principles are more important to her than her career is. Kudos, Patricia!
Good idea. Bad nights happen to us all.
When Fox chooses to discontinue meds to enhance the effect for a political ad, he does all Parkinson's sufferers a great disservice.
I sure hope your arm will heal without surgery. I'll send up a prayer. And I definitely understand your preference for staying put--I share it!
I don't think I ever saw him post on the Levin thread. I just think Levin remembered me disagreeing with him and went from there.
I'm not worried about it anymore, anyway. It wasn't like a border thread....those were really nasty.
I recall reading a quote from Heaton some time ago, that she said when she dies it won't be Barbra Streisand who judges her. I don't recall the exact quote but it was great.
I haven't read the whole thread yet, but it certainly does appear to have gotten ugly.
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