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| Iraq-Jordan | |||
| Martial law threatened for Iraq | |||
| 2004-06-18 | |||
| Iraq's incoming government is considering imposing martial law to help stabilise the country after another two car bomb attacks on Thursday killed at least 41 Iraqis. The blasts were the latest in a spate of increasingly well-organised attacks, including suicide attacks against foreign civilians working for the US-led coalition, an assassination of a senior Iraqi official, and the sabotage of military and industrial targets. Co-ordinated strikes on Iraq's oil pipelines in the north and south of the country have reduced exports to a trickle and depleted the country's prime source of revenue. The escalating violence has forced the new interim government of Ayad Allawi to consider assuming broader security powers in the aftermath of the June 30 transition. "A decision to impose martial law could be taken if the attacks continue," said Hazem Shaalan, the defence minister.
The debate highlights the dilemma for the new Iraqi government, which is trying to establish order without jeopardising its democratic credentials. Such laws carry uncomfortable echoes of the legal fabrications used by the former regime of Saddam Hussein and many current Arab governments to justify repressive and totalitarian rule. The idea was at an early stage, Mr Rubaie said, and had not been discussed substantively with US officers. At least 130,000 American soldiers will remain in the country after an Iraqi government takes over. Mr Rubaie said a new law would need to be passed because the temporary constitution agreed in March as the basis of the new Iraqi state did not include provisions for emergency rule. "It [the new law] should not have sweeping powers. It should be limited in time and space," he said. "[But] the terrorists are shooting people on sight. You need to be a little bit more proactive, a little bit more robust."
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #21 Spot on, JerseyMike! Preach it, brother! |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-06-18 9:18:45 PM |
| #20 wimps, i went to eddie teller summer camp back in 62 i still have my craft project. |
| Posted by: HalfJustVisitnig 2004-06-18 3:22:32 PM |
| #19 we made the tennis ball cannons as kids, and lit em off with lighter fluid...if the balls had a lotta fuzz left, then at night, you'd soak them too so you'd get a flaming ball shot... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-18 2:20:13 PM |
| #18 I have fond memories of fleeing some good ol'boys after an incident involving a tennis ball cannon and the side of a pickup truck. Thank goodness for darkness, thick brush and a well-planned escape route... *g* So far it sounds like Alaska Paul had the most pyromaniacal display. How many fingers you got? ;) |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2004-06-18 1:15:56 PM |
| #17 Jeebus AP! Actually sounds like a hoot and effective too. All I could do was issue a fatwa and send out m' dog. I'm gonna write this one down. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-06-18 12:16:45 PM |
| #16 BTW Rex Mundi, as kids we had loads of fun with calcium carbide (Shawnigan Carbide in a can). Aside from fun with miner's lamps, we declared jihad on gophers and used carbide and water to generate gas at the hole entrances. Then we lit off the acetylene gas and did our early sixties version of the thermobaric bomb. Industrious little sappers we were. ***sigh*** those were the days. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-06-18 11:57:29 AM |
| #15 AP: you are indeed correct. Couldn't see what I was typing following my vino rosso spit-take ha ha! |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-06-18 10:35:35 AM |
| #14 I just keep seeing this HUGE banner that sez "Mission Accomplished" What's the matter, you aren't aware that Saddam Hussein is no longer in charge in Iraq? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-18 10:03:28 AM |
| #13 Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary general, said that Iraq was still too dangerous for the UN to return, telling reporters in New York he was "extremely worried" about the security situation on the ground. He is a useless pussy in charge of a pack of thieves. |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2004-06-18 9:15:57 AM |
| #12 Ram in a cardboard container from McDonalds from an order of large fries. Leave the fries in the container. The cardboard serves as a sabot and voila - a shotgun! Civil War canister. BTW Rex Mundi, I think it is spoor, but if it is about fungi it is spore. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-06-18 3:58:04 AM |
| #11 A certain odor of troll spore. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-06-18 3:12:14 AM |
| #10 I just keep seeing this HUGE banner that sez "Mission Accomplished" |
| Posted by: Not Mike Moore 2004-06-18 3:06:24 AM |
| #9 Dammit! Courtesy demands a red wine alert for nastiness such as that. Now look at this mess....that was awful! Risky indeed, I pretty much just laughed and poured myself another one. I'll give him his due though, he fired over an open sight - never used a spotting round. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-06-18 3:01:02 AM |
| #8 I don't know if anyone here can still get their hands on some calcium carbide, but there's a neat trick you can do with a similar assembly and a juice jar (I can't remember which size fits). Good for at least a 100 yards. Some vaseline or KY required. |
| Posted by: therien 2004-06-18 2:52:18 AM |
| #7 Being an arty crew chief is a risky assignment, but somebody's gotta do it, heh. Line of duty, you say? Didja give 'im one of these? I understand you don't even need to leave your post... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-18 2:35:03 AM |
| #6 No joke - friend of mine had his mounted on a tripod on the back deck. We'd launch lemons at the sheep doin' time in the vineyard while BBQ'n. And of course, there was the time I watched him catch his arm on fire while in the line of duty. Ahhhh, good times. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-06-18 2:31:17 AM |
| #5 When we get bored bass fishing we pair off boats,and have a war.Be sure to use a bar b que igniter(push button spark type).Put in top of chamber,and use your thumb.Mist hairspray from 6 inches and screw cap on.Then shoot the turkey.There is recoil.Sounds like a knee mortar. Be careful.These things really reach out there !! (Thought I goofed the link) |
| Posted by: rich woods 2004-06-18 2:13:49 AM |
| #4 Wow! Rich, that looks like a hoot & a half! I dunno what the "oops" is for - the link worked fine. Heh, this gives me 4th July ideas about taping some Black Cat firecrackers together and making a longer fuse and... well, you get the idea. I can just see it: clan warfare in the picnic area, tables turned over for shielding, etc. lol! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-18 2:02:04 AM |
| #3 OOPS |
| Posted by: rich woods 2004-06-18 1:54:52 AM |
| #2 Potato bazooka plans.Approved for martial law. http://users.frii.com/bsimon/hspray.htm |
| Posted by: rich woods 2004-06-18 1:53:08 AM |
| #1 Actually, I'm against the imposition of martial law -- BAD precedent. Besides, don't the US and New Iraq just have to "up-arm", not do this ... |
| Posted by: Edward Yee 2004-06-18 1:01:25 AM |
