Military

American Victory (Exit) Strategy Relies on Iraqi Army, But What is Really Going On In Iraq?

November 30, 2005 ⋅  E-Mail Article ⋅  Print Article ⋅ Post a comment

One of the requirements for the exit strategy, or what is now being called the victory strategy, is the stability and formation of the Iraqi army. However, many are now saying that the Iraqi army evolving is becoming as bad, if not worse, than the regimental army that supported Sadaam Hussein previously.

Ayad Allawi has accused Shia Muslims in the Government of being responsible for death squads and secret torture centers. Ayad has advised that, “The brutality of elements in the new security forces rivals that of Mr. Hussein’s secret police.” Many Shia officials state that justification for the so called Iraqi Army Death Squads stems from the years and years of oppression they suffered under Sadaam Hussein. I do not buy this argument; I do not think we went into Iraq to help one religious group settle a score with another religious group. If this is what is now occurring I think we really need to address our policy in Iraq.

In the past month the American military has began ushering in a new period in the war against insurgents by having the Iraqi Security Services enter into a larger role in combating the insurgency throughout Iraq. The Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi Army are mainly comprised of largely Shiite individuals. Most of the other ethnic and religious groups avoid service in the Iraqi security forces for fear of reprisal by their peers.

Recently, Sunni Iraqis have been bringing forth evidence that suggests that the Iraqi forces are now carrying out executions in various Sunni neighborhoods.

The President in Iraq, Jalal Talabani, has rejected the accusations of death squads calling the report “nonsense” However former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi has repeatedly stated that Talabani’s government has set up death squads and torture centers as brutal as those during Saddam Hussein’s regime.

There have been a growing amount of accounts regarding the killings and abductions of Sunni individuals the past few weeks. Numerous Sunni civilians have claimed that their relatives are being taken away by uniformed Iraqi soldiers; these soldiers offer no reason, warrant, or explanation. Many of the reportedly abducted men have been found dead in ditches and fields. Many are tied up or restrained in one form or another. Many of the dead are also found with bullet holes in their temples, chemical burns on their body, and other various forms of mutilation.

Many believe a civil war is inevitable in Iraq. There is deep rooted hatred between Shia’s and Sunni’s. Many say this ethnic divide is being taken advantage of by individuals trying to further their own agenda in the Middle East, many others say this is just the way it is. However, with the recent admission by Iranian government officials stating that they would like more influence and persuasion in Iraq I could see this issue becoming more and more of a growing concern.
Ex-PM cites Shias’ abuse

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