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| Iraq |
| CNN: Sunni leader dismayed by easing of security in Sadr City |
| 2006-11-01 |
| BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The easing of a security crackdown in Baghdad's volatile Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City may be emboldening members of Shiite death squads, a Sunni leader said Wednesday. Tariq al-Hashimi -- a vice president of Iraq -- said at a news conference he thinks the security situation is deteriorating largely because the Shiite-led government isn't doing enough to take on militias. "Are we sending the wrong message to the terrorists?" al-Hashimi asked, referring to the possibility that Shiite death squads would exploit the opening of selected checkpoints. "Now that the iron fist has loosened, [terrorists] can move around as you please and shake the stability in Baghdad again. Is this in the country's interest?" U.S. and Iraqi troops tightened security in Baghdad during a hunt for a missing U.S. soldier believed to have been abducted October 23. U.S. and Iraqi checkpoints were set up around Baghdad's sprawling Sadr City slum, the Shiite stronghold of the Mehdi Army, followers of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite, on Tuesday ordered the removal of the Sadr City checkpoints, which inconvenienced civilian Iraqis, after al-Sadr called for a general strike and threatened possible violence. Checkpoints along Army Canal -- which leads into eastern Baghdad, including the Sadr City area -- were opened, and cars and pedestrians were allowed to pass freely. (Watch Sadr City celebrate al-Sadr 'victory' -- 1:50) Al-Hashimi said militia attacks Tuesday night and Wednesday against Sunni Arabs began soon after the checkpoints were removed. He said the crackdown in Sadr City should not have been changed by al-Maliki without the agreement of the multiethnic political council for national security, in a process he said was agreed upon before the government was formed. Al-Hashimi said the security situation generally is deteriorating and security forces are playing a big role in that process. Pointing to CDs that have been circulating, he said there is evidence showing Iraqi security forces providing militias with weapons and intelligence. Al-Hashimi called for a purge of the security forces, to replace people who have political or sectarian allegiances with professionals. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #1 perhaps we need to explain to the Sunnis what will happen if we withdraw (sunni massacres), and said withdrawal is expedited by their uncivilized behavior. Then we tell Maliki and Sadr that we will build up the Sunni capability to f*cking destroy all of them if they don't STFU and knock it off. In the meantime we actually arm up the Kurds (F*ck you, Turkey). Poltics, 1800's British style |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-11-01 22:05 |