Free Republic

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The overall U.S. commander in Iraq, General David McKiernan, said on Friday U.S. troops planned to reduce the number of heavy and small arms in the hands of Iraqis as part of a drive to restore law and order.McKiernan said the plan, including am arms amnesty, would be implemented as soon as Washington approves the plan "within a matter of days."Iraqis are armed to the teeth and after the toppling of Saddam Hussein's government on April 9, looting of public and private institutions and homes swept the country and stolen weapons were sold on the streets...

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2003 – Coalition forces are nearing the end of combat operations, but the campaign will continue, the chief of coalition land forces said during an interview from Baghdad. In a videoconferenced briefing with Pentagon reporters, Army Lt. Gen. David McKiernan said the ground campaign against the regime of Saddam Hussein is making a "blurred transition" from combat operations to post-hostilities operations. He listed the three types of resistance coalition forces still face: regime pockets , paramilitary formations – including foreign fighters -- and terrorist attacks. He said the whole coalition military plan was characterized by the speed...