Previously Banned Militia Patrols Iraqi Holy City - With U.S. Acceptance

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAITRH3AKD.html

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - Militiamen carrying assault rifles and wearing arm bands of a once-outlawed Islamic group patrolled in the holy city of Najaf on Saturday, a week after a key Shiite cleric was killed in a bombing followers blamed on the failure of U.S. security efforts.

In a major - if temporary - policy shift, the top U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, said the armed Iraqis have the blessing of the American occupation force.

"The militias ... on the streets of Najaf ... were there with the full authority of the Coalition Provisional Authority and in full cooperation with the coalition forces. That is to say, they were licensed in accordance with our existing programs," Bremer said Saturday at a joint news conference in Baghdad with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

When asked to name which militias had coalition approval, Bremer seemed to backtrack.

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[J B]

1. They had permission? Do they now?

What a mess. Bremer shows that he's having a hard time catching back from his vacation.

[LeftistGorilla]

2. wow....

kindda like when they let war lords take over afganistan... and we all know what a great idea that was....

[lanlady]

3. a "temporary" policy shift?

I hate to see what'll happen down the road if US forces try to disband them.

[NNN0LHI]

4. Read this. Sounds like we are handing it over to the Iranians to me

<snip>The brigade was spotted on the streets shortly afterward. Many of them, searching pedestrians around the shrine Saturday, could not speak Arabic, Iraq's predominant language, and spoke Farsi, the language of neighboring Iran. The al-Hakim brothers formed the Supreme Council while they were in exile in Iran during the 1980s.

Najaf residents said hundreds of Iranians flooded into the city after the ayatollah was killed.

"Some came to pay their respects, but others arrived to join the brigade. Clearly the brigade has regrouped and is leading the effort to secure the city," a businessman, who claimed to supply the militiamen with food and weapons, said on condition of anonymity.

[bemildred]

5. I dunno.

It doesn't seem unusual they'd get some of their own guys in,
"known quantities", but it does look like Bremer and Co. are
bailing out on it. No point in starting a fight you can't win,
and renewed fighting would look really bad right now. It will
be interesting to see how much influence Iran will have. Boy,
that would really put a fork in it, if Iran started calling the
shots in parts of "occupied" Iraq.

Edit: The timing here is interesting. Some have been wondering
when the Shiites would start to push back.