(emphasis mine)
BAGHDAD, June 14 -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (who Bush visited and said was doing a great job this week) on Wednesday proposed a limited amnesty to help end the Sunni Arab insurgency as part of a national reconciliation plan that Maliki said would be released within days. The plan is likely to include pardons for those who had attacked only U.S. troops, a top adviser said.
Maliki's declaration of openness to talks with some members of Sunni armed factions, and the prospect of pardons, are concessions that previous, interim governments had avoided. The statements marked the first time a leader from Iraq's governing Shiite religious parties has publicly embraced national reconciliation, welcomed dialogue with armed groups and proposed a limited amnesty.
Reconciliation could include an amnesty for those "who weren't involved in the shedding of Iraqi blood," Maliki told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. "Also, it includes talks with the armed men who opposed the political process and now want to turn back to political activity."
1) If Bush is telling you you are doing a great job (a la former FEMA director Brown), odds are you are getting ready to do something stupid.
2) Okay, so let's get this straight...the Iraqi gov't that the adminstration supports, will basically be saying it is okay if you killed only American soldiers. Isn't that saying that it is an acceptable response to our presence there? So we are occupiers?
If the GOP goes along with this then we won't offer amnesty to illegal immigrants but we would support amnesty for those that kill our soldiers. Talking about your land of confusion! Where's the puppet of Ronald Reagan to press the launch button when you need him?!
Do the Thing
5 years ago