Delayed amnesty sows doubts among Iraqis

Iraq's interim government on Monday delayed the announcement of amnesty for anti-US insurgents again, stoking doubts among its people about its effectiveness.

A press conference scheduled for Monday morning by Justice Minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan was indefinitely delayed, which was the second time that the announcement had been put off.

On Sunday, Allawi's spokesman said an "amnesty will be unveiled today or tomorrow (Sunday or Monday) by Minister of Justice Malik Dohan al-Hassan," after the government concluded that some of the insurgents joined resistance simply because they had no means of living.

Last week, Allawi said an amnesty would be declared for those who acted against the US-led occupation but committed no crimes.

However, this intended pardon was not expected to have quick and effective results due to the multiplicity of the groups which bent on resistance operations.

Dr. Liqaa Maky, a political analyst, commented on the pardon that the resistance in Iraq had anonymous identity, and it would be hard to predict the reactions since various groups harbored various goals and ambitions.

Uncontrolled weapons across the country also contributed to the difficulty of predicting the reactions following the amnesty.

In Iraq, nearly every household had at least one piece of weapon, especially after the warehouses of the former Iraqi army were ransacked after the toppling of the former regime of Saddam Hussein.

The situation deteriorated when the US forces approved that every family could have one weapon for self-defense after looting, robbery, and other criminal acts prevailed the country.

The Iraqi government hoped that those, who were deceived or forced under harsh living circumstances to join the resistance, would respond to the pardon.

However, the government may be wrong to imagine that since these people joined the resistance for money, when jobs were offered, they would stop anti-American operations and return to their everyday life.

The only solution was to end the occupations by the US forces, or the so-called multi-national forces, said Mohamed Al Samuraee, a grocery shop owner.

Frustration and despair consisted of the daily life of Iraqis, and this fanned the flare of violence. To end it, the government should take swift measures to deliver its people from suffering, said Qahtan Jassim Mohamed, a journalist.

If successful, it would surely pave the way for the return of security and stability in the country, he emphasized.

Source: Xinhua