"New Iraq PM promises amnesty for insurgents"
Potentially powerful strategy on part of the new Iraqi government. I really hope it works.
Edit (29 Jun 2004): See the full text of Allawi's letter.
Excerpts:
[Allawi's] government 'will make a clear distinction between those Iraqis who have acted against the occupation out of a sense of desperation, and those foreign terrorist fundamentalists and criminals whose sole objective is to kill and maim innocent people and to see Iraq fail'.
The objective will be "to reach out to the former group in a national reconciliation effort and invite them to join us in a fresh start to build our country's future together, while at the same time isolating and defeating the latter group". To achieve this "we are drawing up plans to provide amnesty to Iraqis who supported the so-called resistance without committing crimes". ...
Dr Allawi's words appear aimed ... at exploiting a widening split among opponents of the occupation. ...
The storming of police stations and the killing of so many Iraqi police is creating a backlash against the Islamic resistance. Shia and Sunni Muslim preachers have denounced the death of 100 Iraqis in a co-ordinated offensive on Thursday, and expressed fear that foreigners are hijacking the resistance.
Edit (29 Jun 2004): See the full text of Allawi's letter.
Excerpts:
[Allawi's] government 'will make a clear distinction between those Iraqis who have acted against the occupation out of a sense of desperation, and those foreign terrorist fundamentalists and criminals whose sole objective is to kill and maim innocent people and to see Iraq fail'.
The objective will be "to reach out to the former group in a national reconciliation effort and invite them to join us in a fresh start to build our country's future together, while at the same time isolating and defeating the latter group". To achieve this "we are drawing up plans to provide amnesty to Iraqis who supported the so-called resistance without committing crimes". ...
Dr Allawi's words appear aimed ... at exploiting a widening split among opponents of the occupation. ...
The storming of police stations and the killing of so many Iraqi police is creating a backlash against the Islamic resistance. Shia and Sunni Muslim preachers have denounced the death of 100 Iraqis in a co-ordinated offensive on Thursday, and expressed fear that foreigners are hijacking the resistance.
// 6/27/2004 
