Weapons handover begins in Sadr City

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-10-12 03:30am

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqis aligned with the Medhi Army began trickling into Iraqi police stations in Sadr City Monday morning, exchanging their weapons for coupons they can later use to get cash from the Iraqi government.

Rebels are expected to surrender thousands of medium and heavy weapons at various centers under the control of police, the National Guard and City Council officials during a five-day amnesty, officials in Iraq's interim government said.

Observers say the surrendering of rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortars and machine guns is a sign an agreement between radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi government is being implemented as announced.

Iraqi Police Col. Fawzi Mahmoud said the weapons began arriving at 8 a.m. Monday at the al-Habibia police station on the outskirts of Sadr City.

"Until now, we have received a good number of weapons and Mehdi militia is still coming to this center to turn over its weapons," Col. Mahmoud said.

"The city is very quiet and the people have been very cooperative with the Iraqi police," he said.

When a weapon is turned in, the donor gets a receipt from police which can later be exchanged for cash from the Iraqi government.

Three police stations in Sadr City were ready to receive the weapons, another police official said.

The weapons surrender is intended to allow Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. forces, to take control of the area where attacks on U.S. and Iraqi soldiers have been going on for weeks.

The sprawling slum is home to 2 million people, nearly 10 percent of Iraq's population.

In return for the weapons handover, the interim government said, there will be amnesty arrangements for people who "have not been involved in criminality." Also, al-Sadr himself and his allies would be permitted to get involved in the country's nascent political culture.

Iraq's interim government and al-Sadr followers announced the deal Saturday.

Interim national security adviser Kasim Dawood called the plan a "breakthrough" deal and a "big achievement" toward consolidating national unity in Iraq.

Iraqi companies will be allowed to resume normal operations within Sadr City, but foreign companies will not be allowed in at this time, Sheikh Ali Smeisem said.

Lethal blasts
Two suicide car bombs exploded in separate sections of Baghdad on Sunday morning, killing seven people, including a U.S. soldier, officials said.

Earlier, Iraqi police reported 17 deaths, but officials offered no explanation for the change.

The attacks occurred as U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made an unannounced visit to the region.

The first car bomb apparently exploded prematurely, killing its six victims before reaching its intended target -- an Iraqi police academy.

That explosion, at 7 a.m. (12 a.m. ET), happened at a busy intersection near the Iraqi Oil Ministry and 200 yards from the police academy, police said.

A second suicide car bomb exploded at 7:15 a.m. as a U.S. military convoy passed, near an empty supermarket in a southern section of Baghdad. A U.S. soldier later died of wounds from that attack, Iraqi police and the military said.

The death put the number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war at 1,072 -- 817 killed in hostile action and 255 in nonhostile situations, according to the U.S. military.

Kon_El · Post by **Kon_El** » 2004-10-12 03:36am

817 killed in hostile action and 255 in nonhostile situations, according to the U.S. military.

What the hell is a fatal "nonhostile situation"

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-10-12 03:47am

Kon_El wrote:
817 killed in hostile action and 255 in nonhostile situations, according to the U.S. military.

What the hell is a fatal "nonhostile situation"

Car accident? Cleaned a gun without unloading it? Disease? Any number of things can kill you without the intervention of enemy troops.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2004-10-12 04:05am

Kon_El wrote:
817 killed in hostile action and 255 in nonhostile situations, according to the U.S. military.

What the hell is a fatal "nonhostile situation"

Friendly Fire and sea-kings crashing.

Coalition · Post by **Coalition** » 2004-10-13 04:36am

I wonder how well those weapons are being protected. After all, if anything happens that the militants (or anyone else) doesn't like, they could just pop in and steal the weapons back. Later on, they can either use the weapons, or turn them in for more coupons.

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2004-10-13 04:40am

Coalition wrote:I wonder how well those weapons are being protected. After all, if anything happens that the militants (or anyone else) doesn't like, they could just pop in and steal the weapons back. Later on, they can either use the weapons, or turn them in for more coupons.

Well hopefully they are being destroyed....

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-10-13 05:26am

So, they hand in the guns, and get paid obscene amounts of money (I've heard up to $1000 American for machine guns) and use this money to buy...what? Fluffy bunnies?

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-10-13 05:45am

HemlockGrey wrote:So, they hand in the guns, and get paid obscene amounts of money (I've heard up to $1000 American for machine guns) and use this money to buy...what? Fluffy bunnies?

A special, limited-edition goldleaf Koran, signed by Sadr himself.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-10-13 05:50am

I think it would be more effective to hold one giant mass weapons turn-in and then ambush everyone bringing in guns. At least it would ensure that they wouldn't go out and simply buy MORE guns.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-10-13 03:53pm

HemlockGrey wrote:I think it would be more effective to hold one giant mass weapons turn-in and then ambush everyone bringing in guns. At least it would ensure that they wouldn't go out and simply buy MORE guns.

Sarcasm, right? Hard to tell online, but if you're serious, that would totally fuck any chances for peaceful rapprochement anywhere else, with anybody else, for a good long time.

By the way... "When California slides into the ocean, like the mystics and statistics say it will, I predict this motel will be standing until I pay my bill..."

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-10-13 05:49pm

Coalition wrote:I wonder how well those weapons are being protected. After all, if anything happens that the militants (or anyone else) doesn't like, they could just pop in and steal the weapons back. Later on, they can either use the weapons, or turn them in for more coupons.

In the NY Times yesterday, it said that one of the guards or people working at the thing offered to sell a rifle for a $150.

Post by **Beowulf** » 2004-10-13 07:01pm

Sokartawi's tirade HoSed.