Iraqi Falluja Force Won't Disarm Guerrillas for Now

NNN0LHI

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Fri May-14-04 08:29 AM
Original message

Iraqi Falluja Force Won't Disarm Guerrillas for Now

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040514/ts_nm/iraq_falluja_dc&cid=564&ncid=1473

FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - The Iraqi general leading a force that controls Falluja said he had no plans to disarm insurgents, defying demands by U.S. commanders who appointed him and raising tension with Marines encircling the restive city.

Mohammed Latif, a former intelligence officer who now heads the Falluja Brigade, also told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday that U.S. forces should go home if they wanted peace.

"Weapons are not the problem. They are easy to collect," he said. "What we need to do is rebuild our country. There is no need for American soldiers. I am sure the Americans would be happy to go to their homes."

Latif's comments came after he held lengthy talks with Major-General James Mattis, the commander of the 1st Marines Division encircling Falluja.

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yellowcanine

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Fri May-14-04 08:35 AM
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1. Looks as if "Iraquification" is working just as well as "Vietnamization"

Do these idiots in the * administration know any history at all? They sure don't seem to, as they are repeating the mistakes of the U.S. in Vietnam, the U.S.S.R. in Afghanistan, Russia in Chechnya, and the British in 1920s Iraq.

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frank frankly

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Fri May-14-04 08:37 AM
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2. The mighty IFF (Iraqi Falluja Force) will never disarm anybody

FUBAR.

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ze_dscherman

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Fri May-14-04 08:40 AM
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3. He would probably be flattered

if he were called a warlord. We'll see Iraq fall apart soon. The ME will be sooo stabilized.

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Mikimouse

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Fri May-14-04 08:46 AM
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4. I think that it is only a matter of time before the 'insurgents' ...

and the IFF join forces to throw our collective asses out of their country. I said that many weeks ago, and I stand by it.

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54anickel

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Fri May-14-04 08:58 AM
Response to Reply #4

6. That might not be a bad thing. Throwing "our collective asses out"

that is. The article brings up some interesting points.

Under the truce, some 2,000 Marines backed by tanks and armored vehicles pulled to Falluja's outskirts to allow Iraqi forces to hunt down weapons and crush the estimated 100 foreign fighters believed to be holed up inside the Sunni stronghold.

100 foreign fighters, 2000 Marines backed by tanks. If that is true, it certainly seems like over kill. No wonder the Iraqi "insurgents" aren't willing to turn in their arms yet. Would US citizens turn theirs in if this happened here?

What was the goal of the US for Fallujah and the IFF? If it was peace and an end to the shootings and killings - mission accomplished. Are they looking to impose some sort of "martial law"? I wouldn't be turning in my guns either. :shrug:

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Mikimouse

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Fri May-14-04 09:20 AM
Response to Reply #6

7. I tend to think of the IFF as reinforcements for the 'insurgents'...

which incidentally, is a term I thoroughly disagree with. The term implies that they do not belong there, and IIRC, they are Iraqis, so it is their territory to begin with. In this case, I believe that the insurgents would be us.

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Dhalgren

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Fri May-14-04 08:53 AM
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5. I think that this general and his IFF

is a good example of how the Iraqis can handle their own affairs. They don't need us and if anyone needed an example, here it is. I also thought he made good sense with his statement about weapons. Weapons aren't the problem; weapons are easy to collect and easy to re-acquire. The problem is the Americans. They need to go home. Clear statement, easy to understand. Americans are proving, everyday, just how stupid and murderous we are.

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Teaser

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Fri May-14-04 09:33 AM
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8. Folks, the IFF are the insurgents.

And they ain't gonna be disarming themselves now, are they?

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DUreader

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Fri May-14-04 10:43 AM
Response to Reply #8

9. I agree

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