U.S. general wants big cuts in Iraqi detainees

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. prison camps in Iraq said he wants to cut the number of Iraqis in his custody by around two thirds by the end of 2008 as part of a wider counter-insurgency plan to bring down violence.

Most of the more than 25,000 detainees held by U.S. forces are Sunni Arabs accused of involvement in an insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government and American troops. Sunni Arab leaders say many are innocent and are being held without charge.

The issue of detainees in both U.S. and Iraqi jails is one of the most sensitive in the country, especially as detentions have spiked during a security crackdown this year.

The crackdown, which includes an extra 30,000 U.S. troops, is meant to buy time for Iraqi leaders to reach legislative benchmarks aimed at reconciling majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs and so stop a slide towards sectarian civil war.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL06676676200...

[balantz]

1. Must be time to feed the civil war.

We can blame it on them, and throw some blame on Iran. Then what?

I'll bet this is part of the plan for U.S. to help "stabilize" the middle east.