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US Concerned About Iraqi Purge
Washington (AFP) Apr 30, 2007 Washington on Monday expressed concern about reports that aides to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki played key roles in the arrest and removal of senior Iraqi army and police officers who tried to rein in Shiite militias. "We're aware of the reports, we're concerned about them, and that will be a focus of conversations," with top Iraqi officials, White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters. "Those are the kinds of things we do discuss with the Iraqis." "It is vital for the success of an Iraqi democracy to have security forces that will enforce the law fairly, regardless of who you are or regardless of what group you belong to," said Snow. "We've said it many times, and that continues to be a point of emphasis," said the spokesman. At the US State Department, officials there were similarly unsettled by the reports. "We're looking into it, and certainly if that were true, it would be a cause of deep concern," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "One of the great strengths from our view of the Baghdad security plan was this step back from sectarianism among the professional military and security forces," he said. "Now, if, in fact, we're seeing some walk back of that, that would be of real concern to us. So we're taking it seriously," he said. Citing US military officials and documents obtained in Baghdad, the Washington Post reported that since March 1, at least 16 army and national police commanders have been fired, detained or pressured to resign. At least nine of them were Sunnis. Although some of the officers appear to have been fired for legitimate reasons, several were considered to be among the better Iraqi officers in the field, the Post said. The dismissals have angered US and Iraqi leaders who say the Shiite-led government is sabotaging the military to achieve sectarian goals, according to the report. During earlier security crackdowns in Baghdad, Maliki was criticized for failing to target Shiite militias, in particular the Mahdi Army, which is led by hard-line cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the report said. Iraqi government officials denied that security force commanders have faced political pressure and said that Maliki is committed to targeting all criminals equally, the Post reported.
Source: Agence France-Presse Related Links Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century
US Death Rate Falls In Iraq
Washington (UPI) April 30, 2007U.S. fatality rates in Iraq have fallen during the past two weeks despite insurgent attempts to target American soldiers deployed as part of the "surge" strategy. As of Monday, 3,342 U.S. troops had been killed in Iraq since the start of military operations to topple Saddam Hussein on March 19, 2003. Of these, 2,723 were killed in action, according to official figures issued by the U.S. Department of Defense. |
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