Iraqi government to offer amnesty to surrendering Fallujah insurgents

[maddezmom]

NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFX) - The Iraqi government said it will offer an amnesty to the 'many fighters' in the rebel city of Fallujah who have said they want to surrender.

'We have been contacted by many armed groups during the past hours to express their desire to surrender to the authorities', Thaer al-Naqib, interim prime minister Iyad Allawi's spokesman, told reporters at a military base near Fallujah.



more: http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/041110/323/f6cmj.html

MSNBC just reported "insurgents" are now surrendering in Fallujah... :eyes: This was the only link I could find. Anyone hear anthing on this??

[Straight Shooter]

1. They will write "amnesty" on the bullet before shooting them in the head

Maybe Allawi will do it himself, again.

[LamedVov]

2. It's a tough situation

I pray for them.

[papau]

3. Oh good - so the 100 kids and ladies that surrendered this AM get

amnesty.

So why are the dozen males over 16 in the group still being held?

[bowens43]

4. Yeah right.......

Sounds like they're being led to slaughter.

[tavalon]

5. Does that mean

They'll kill them fast rather than slowly, at Gitmo?

My, I'm the cynical one, eh?

I can't imagine why I'm so cynical.

[Tempest]

6. 'We have been contacted by many armed groups during the past hours...'

Now just how the hell did they pull this off with the U.S. barriers around the city and a complete media blackout?

Propaganda, nothing more.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. They do this every time. This is a one day story, at best.

[izzie]

8. Well that is interesting. Their are some pretty mean people ===

in that mix. I mean I think blowing up people and cutting off heads is a little over the edge and to forgive that type would be far out. Most I think are just fighting for their country....I am not happy to see us bombing anything that moves either. One is as bad as the other on that account. I know the fighters have to do as the officers tell them but I do blame the higher ups for this endless killing.

[Nihil]

9. Interesting indeed: that bit always gets me ...

Why is it that "our" soldiers are forgiven their war-crimes because
they are just obeying the orders of their leaders but "their" soldiers
are barbaric bands of murdering cut-throats?

Our mass-murdering leaders are "preserving justice and establishing peace"
whilst their small-time murdering leaders are "ungodly terrorists"?

[NorthernSpy]

10. for now, I'm filing it with the "US uses nerve gas in Fallujah" story...

The claim of contact from "several insurgent groups" trying to negotiate an amnesty is not impossible, but under the circumstances appears more likely to be false or mostly false, than true or mostly true.

A credible offer of amnesty would have to include a credible offer of protection. The people currently calling themselves the Iraqi government can't even manage to protect their own families from assassination and kidnapping.

Given the lengthy build up to this latest Fallujah episode, I suspect that most of the combatants who intended to get out of the city are already long gone to other areas. Though I suppose that civilians could try to save themselves by "surrendering", if offered the opportunity.

What I'm wondering right now is whether another "brokered solution" is in the offing, and whether this story is meant to set the stage for it. If you'll recall, back in April during the first big assault on Fallujah, the press reporting followed the same pattern:

• The build up to the attack was widely reported in the press
  
  
• The attack was announced with much fanfare
  
  
• A significant number of casualties were incurred over a short period of time, and the news of this was relatively underplayed
  
  
• There was an abrupt scarcity of new stories about the events unfolding in Fallujah
  
  
• After the pause in coverage, new stories were released that suggested that an agreement had been reached between the resistance fighters and the forces of the Iraqi interim government, whereby the latter would assume control of the situation, allowing the Americans to withdraw.

Is that what's happening here as well? I simply don't know. The reality could be something similar to that, or something completely different. Whatever the case, it's interesting to think about, and your guess is as good as mine.