Saturday, April 28, 2007
Tribal leaders push for diplomacy and dialogue
Tribal, Security
(Azzaman) - Tribal leaders in Salahiddeen Province have urged the government to replace the use of military force with diplomacy and dialogue. The meeting held in Tikrit, the provincial capital, reviewed four major issues: national reconciliation, the policy of debaathification, amending the constitution and the former army.
The leaders hold a lot of sway in areas north of Baghdad and many have pledged to flush out insurgents and terrorists from their tribal areas. The meeting was attended by a U.S. embassy representative before whom the tribal chiefs put their demands. But Stephen Butler told the gathering that there was little the U.S. could do to help due to the latest upsurge in violence across the country.
However, he said, the U.S. believed Iraqi tribes had a crucial role to play in reinstating law and order. Many tribal leaders left the meeting disappointed as most of their demands were turned down. They wanted the U.S. to transfer prisoners from the province to jails where their relatives could visit them easily. They demanded the U.S. to pressure the government to recruit members of the former army into its current military operations.
But the leaders were most critical of the policy of debaathification under which members of the former ruling Baath party are not allowed to hold positions in government and state. “Debaathification has adversely affected all aspects of life in the province, at the forefront security,” Salahiddeen Governor Hamad al-Shakti said. He said national reconciliation as a target “should be reached through dialogue, amendment of the constitution and tolerance and not through the use of military force.”
However, he said, the U.S. believed Iraqi tribes had a crucial role to play in reinstating law and order. Many tribal leaders left the meeting disappointed as most of their demands were turned down. They wanted the U.S. to transfer prisoners from the province to jails where their relatives could visit them easily. They demanded the U.S. to pressure the government to recruit members of the former army into its current military operations.
But the leaders were most critical of the policy of debaathification under which members of the former ruling Baath party are not allowed to hold positions in government and state. “Debaathification has adversely affected all aspects of life in the province, at the forefront security,” Salahiddeen Governor Hamad al-Shakti said. He said national reconciliation as a target “should be reached through dialogue, amendment of the constitution and tolerance and not through the use of military force.”
Labels: debaathification, Hamad al-Shakti, Salahiddeen, Stephen Butler, tribal leaders
