Thursday, June 16, 2005
Should Iraq invite the insurgents in from the cold?
Yesterday the news brought reports that the government of Iraq and the United States were reaching out to the insurgents -- the Iraqis among them, at least -- to "coax [them] into mainstream politics by floating the possibility of an amnesty." The Guardian reported that the United States was drafting an amnesty policy for insurgents "who have not targeted civilians and are willing to renounce violence," however many that might be. Presumably we would not apply traditional principles of conspiracy and aiding and abetting to determine whether a candidate for amnesty has "targeted civilians."
My skepticism aside, I like the amnesty program because it has the potential to drive another wedge within the ranks of the insurgency. This fact is not lost on the insurgents themselves, who are doing everything they can to bust up meetings between Sunni leaders who propose to treat with the government. Minutes ago, for example, the Associated Press released this picture (caption below):
N.B.: I'm under the impression that "Hussein" is a popular name in Iraq.
My skepticism aside, I like the amnesty program because it has the potential to drive another wedge within the ranks of the insurgency. This fact is not lost on the insurgents themselves, who are doing everything they can to bust up meetings between Sunni leaders who propose to treat with the government. Minutes ago, for example, the Associated Press released this picture (caption below):
Masked gunmen, calling themselves the al-Haq Army, surround the main mosque in Ramadi, Iraq, to block entrance Thursday June 16, 2005. The armed men blocked the entrance to the mosque to stop officias and tribal elders who planned a conference to select representatives to meet with coalition forces. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
N.B.: I'm under the impression that "Hussein" is a popular name in Iraq.
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