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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (47026)	10/11/2004 5:17:27 AM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50167

Iraqi resistance fighters in Falluja showed willingness to pursue a truce with Iraq's interim government only if the U.S. troops stayed out of the rebel stronghold city. "We are prepared to hand over heavy weapons. We have no problem with representatives of Falluja joining the political process," one of the Iraqi rebels, who demanded anonymity, said. After talks at a U.S. base near the city on Saturday, Chief Falluja negotiator Khaled al-Jumaili, said that a delegation from Falluja held talks with the Iraqi Defence Ministry on allowing the Iraqi National Guards enter the city. It remains unknown how many Iraqi rebels are in Falluja are willing to abide by any deal that would be reached between Jumaili and the U.S. commanders, as similar agreements in the past have proved their failure. U.S. forces and Iraq's interim government have previously pledged to seize control of all rebel-held towns and cities before Iraq’s general elections, to be held in January. U.S. and Iraqi forces have already took control over Samarra, north of Baghdad. According to U.S. military officials imposing security in Falluja is a vital step in stabilizing Iraq. One of Falluja rebels said that the problem was the presence of U.S. troops, not the elections. "We are prepared for a truce and we are ready for the National Guard to enter Falluja. But our weapons will not be far away from us if the Americans violate any agreement," he said. "We back elections because they will deprive the Americans of an excuse to stay in the country," said Sheikh Abdullah al-Janabi, the spiritual leader of Falluja's Shura council of mujahideen, or holy warriors. Earlier, Falluja rebels have vowed to carry out violent attacks in seven provinces, including Baghdad, if the U.S.-led forces enter their stronghold in the city of Falluja. "We will meet a military assault by the occupying forces with violence, answering with all the power we have," Abdullah Abdulaziz al-Janabi, leader of Mohammed's Army and chairman of the mujahideen shura council, said in an interview last week at his mosque in Fallujah. The threat came as a challenge to the U.S. and Iraqi officials who started recently a nationwide offensive to regain back territory held by Iraqi resistance fighters before January elections. Al Sadr’s fighters to hand over weapons in 5 days The Iraqi interim government has given Al Sadr’s fighters five days to turn over arms under a peace deal that was reached over the weekend between both sides, National Security Adviser Kassim Daoud said on Sunday. Kassim Daoud said the Iraqi interim government would commit more than $500 million to rebuilding Al Sadr City, which has been damaged in several fierce battles between the U.S. occupation troops and resistance fighters. Daoud said Iraqi police and National Guard will have a key role in Sadr City under the peace deal which starts Monday, given the right to seek support from U.S.-led forces to maintain security in the city. Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's followers engaged in fierce battles with the U.S. troops in April and with the American and Iraqi forces in August.