Maliki offers amnesty — to Iraqis in Mosul
posted at 9:25 am on May 16, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Nouri al-Maliki has given Iraqis in Mosul the same offer he gave Iraqis in Basra: amnesty for those who walk away. At the start of a major offensive against the rump al-Qaeda organization making its last stand in the northern city, Maliki wants to separate the wheat from the chaff by enticing hangers-on to abandon their AQI allies and turn themselves and their weapons over to the Iraqi Army. It serves as a final call before the destruction begins in earnest:
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has offered members of armed groups in Mosul an amnesty in exchange for surrendering their weapons.
He says the gunmen have 10 days starting Friday to hand over medium and heavy weapons and receive unspecified monetary compensation in return.
The statement also offers amnesty to those described as “duped” into taking up arms against the government as long as they were not involved in crimes against civilians and did not “have blood on their hands.”
That caveat means foreign fighters who entered Iraq won’t qualify, and neither will Iraqis who have already committed terrorist acts. Maliki wants to reach out to the Sunnis who have remained in insurgent organizations despite most of them having abandoned AQI from 2006 forward. He needs a general rapprochement with Sunnis in order to unite the country, and many Sunni tribal leaders want insurgents forgiven as a condition for their support.
The amnesty would give Maliki more than just some political strength, which he has gathered rapidly since his liberation of Basra last month. Surrendering insurgents will have critical intelligence about AQI positions in the city of Mosul, which will help limit the collateral damage that will ensue when the Iraqi Army begins its sweeps through the city. Any such intel will keep civilians alive and also bolster the safety and morale of his troops. Those goals are just as important as the political benefits, and are political benefits in themselves as well.
It’s the last chance for the native insurgents to choose their country rather than foreign religious lunatics. In ten days, we will see how well Maliki’s offer played with these holdouts, and how much it exposed the remaining AQI terrorists.
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Al-Maliki is working within his own cultural framework… and working effectivly.
He is allowing those who were forced by circumstance, or by others, to now see him as the “strong horse”, and join his side. VERY smart move.
Even Moh the warlord used to allow his enemies a chance to repent, and join… its just plain part of the culture.
Romeo13 on May 16, 2008 at 9:31 AM
I have to admit that I’m really proud of the work the Maliki is doing in Iraq. He’s doing is systematically and in a very determined manner.
A couple of days ago, I heard a liberal talking head on one of the evening talk shows yelling about how the surge was supposed to give the political side a chance to work itself out, and although she finally had to admit that militarily that surge had worked, no progress was being made politically. I honestly wondered what hole in the ground she’d been living in. Seriously, people couldn’t admit that the surge was working, moved the goalposts to mean “political progress” and still won’t admit when that’s working out well too. As long as one suicide bomber or other violent person kills his/her target, the war is a complete failure. By that standard, the city of Chicago should be shut down.
acleaver on May 16, 2008 at 9:38 AM
I’m sure this is somehow a huge victory for al-Sadr!
BuzzCrutcher on May 16, 2008 at 9:42 AM
And even worse, she had her facts wrong.
They have made significant Political progress as well.
But the bigger question becomes… why do all the Libs think that we can and should have control over their government?
And why is OUR Congress bitchin at them for not doing somthing political, when ours did not even pass a budget last year, but we continue on a continueing resolution?
Pot? meet Kettle?
Romeo13 on May 16, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Counter-Insurgency Operations for Dummies:
Step 1. Convince as many insurgents as possible to lay down arms.
Step 2. Kill the rest.
BohicaTwentyTwo on May 16, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Yep. So many televised hearings and very little actual work.
acleaver on May 16, 2008 at 9:53 AM
What do people think about whether the current Iraq regime can survive an Obama presidency?
thuja on May 16, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Man, I like the sound of that.
logis on May 16, 2008 at 10:30 AM
I’m holding out hope (there’s that word again) that if and once he gets into office, he will be surrounded by men a lot wiser than he is who will advise him of the folly of pulling out of Iraq precipitously. Then, he can cover himself by saying that once in office, he had access to classified information that made him reconsider his quick withdrawal plan.
Kafir on May 16, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Kerry?
Connie on May 16, 2008 at 10:48 AM
In the words of the immortal Ed Norton…”dum de dum, dum”.
LtE126 on May 16, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Only democratic cowards would flush the Iraqi people down the drain after billions of dollars and thousands of lives have been spent in liberating 28,000,000 people. Obama is a Mayor Daly lapdog with charisma and doesn’t have the xperience to make life and death decisions of this magnitude.
volsense on May 16, 2008 at 11:15 AM
I’m guessing they will try to create “Awakening” movements within Mosul to leverage the locals.
TallDave on May 16, 2008 at 11:18 AM
The fact that the Iraqi government, as young and inexperienced as it is, is demonstrably working much better and more effectively than our own should completely shame the democratically controlled congress.
But it won’t.
techno_barbarian on May 16, 2008 at 11:39 AM
A strange culture, indeed.
Johan Klaus on May 16, 2008 at 11:40 AM
WaPo: al-Sadr’s got al-Maliki right where he wants him!
apollyonbob on May 16, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Maliki and the Iraqi Army are doing so great that their success must be just around the very next corner.
So why isn’t Juan McVain one upping that laggard Obamawan Barakobi, who seems to be oblivious to all this great success, and saying that he will have all American combat troops out of Iraq 8 months after his inauguration in January 2009 instead of Obamawan Barokobi’s 16 months?
MB4 on May 16, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Counter-Insurgency Operations for Dummies:
Step 1. Convince as many coalition forces as possible that you’re laying down arms.
Step 2. Earn mad cash compensation
Step 3. Set up shop in another nondescript city in Iraq
Step 4. Find out who actually surrendered
Step 5. Kill them.
Perhaps I’m overestimating an insurgent’s intelligence. But really, one of the biggest problems with eliminating them has been how they melt away when the lights get turned on..
Reaps on May 16, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Ah yes, it wouldn’t be an Iraq comment thread without MB4 showing to repeat the same old comment, again (and again, and again).
Reaps, you are indeed overestimating the AQ intel. When the locals can point you out in a flash, and the IA and INP roll in – you either fight and die or flee. But where to flee from Mosul? To the Kurdish areas – nope, the peshmerga would whack them right away. South – nope, that is where they have been driven from. That leaves Tall Afar and on to Syria. Tey are running out of room to run, and running out of places to hide. Tall Afar isn’t big enough for that. I’m not sure the Syrians want them back (it’s supposed to be a one way trip, so to speak). But if thhey do make it to Syria, then the IBP and IA can watch for them much easier than in Iraqi cities.
Per GEN Petraeus: AQ needed Baghdad to win and Mosul to survive. They lost Baghdad, and are about to lose Mosul.
major john on May 16, 2008 at 2:37 PM
I said wiser.
Kafir on May 16, 2008 at 4:06 PM
I just talked to a buddy of mine who got back yesteray from operating in the Al Anbar province. Remember that place? Most don’t. It was once considered the most dangerous place in Iraq.It was written off as lost. He said they are bored to tears. I am currently heading back for my umpteenth tour since 2003 and I wish I could share with you the things I know, but can’t, if you know what I mean. It would amaze you the changes that are and will be happening. I for one would love to bring everyone home, but I would rather stay long enough to see all of the hard work pay off.
gator70 on May 16, 2008 at 8:57 PM
Now, this is impressive…
al-Maliki, a Muslim…who’s been raised to believe in Sharia first, is putting his country ahead of his religion???
You go, al-Maliki! You’re putting our Dems to shame.
Miss_Anthrope on May 16, 2008 at 10:28 PM
gator70,
Are you headed to MND-SE by chance?
major john on May 17, 2008 at 7:14 AM
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