[Peace-discuss] (no subject)

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

invade a country then disarm it to keep individuals from throwing you out.  


Iraqis ignore gun amnesty 
Weapons collection points have opened around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, as 
part of a gun amnesty aimed at restoring law and order after the US-led war. 
But the initial response by Iraqis has been sluggish, and correspondents say 
not a single weapon had been handed in at several police stations visited by 
them. 

The BBC's Richard Myron in Baghdad says that with continuing security 
problems and political uncertainty, few people are willing to give up their arms. 

New firearms controls are due to begin in two weeks' time, when the US-led 
administration says it will seize any weapons not conforming to the new rules. 


If I need protection, I'll go buy a gun 
Abbas Hussein, Baghdad resident 
People will be allowed to keep guns up to 7.62 mm - the calibre of the 
Kalashnikov assault rifle - at home without licenses for self-defence. 
But they need to get permission to carry them outside. Other weapons must be 
registered with the authorities. 

Ingrained gun culture 

Our correspondent says that not a single weapon had been turned in at the 
police station in one Baghdad neighbourhood hours after the collection point had 
opened. 


Iraq has an ingrained gun culture and the number of weapons in circulation 
has proliferated since the end of the war. 

The city has been traumatised by the ensuing lawlessness, and many Iraqis say 
a gun is the best - and sometimes the only - means of self-defence. 

"If I need protection, I'll go buy a gun," Abbas Hussein, who was injured by 
armed robbers only a few days ago, was quoted as saying by the French AFP news 
agency. 

"We can't expect foreigners to save us from other Iraqis," he added. 

Despite repeated raids by US troops, underground arms markets continue to 
flourish in Baghdad. 

"For us weapon is a badge of honour," said arms dealer Abbas Fadhel. 

"Even Saddam didn't dare to take away our weapons. In fact he used to give 
people rifles or shotguns as a present on big state occasions," he added. 

'House-to-house search' 

Correspondents say American commanders and the new Iraqi police have not been 
surprised by the slow response to the gun amnesty. 

They say they are prepared to wait, believing that the word might not have 
reached all Iraqis and it is too early to judge whether the amnesty will work. 

"We have not received any weapons so far," Colonel Haider Ghani Aziz, head of 
Baghdad's Bab al-Sheikh police station, was quoted as saying by Reuters news 
agency. 

"We will wait and see. If nobody turns out, I think we will start a 
house-to-house search campaign," he added. 


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/2954218.stm

Published: 2003/06/01 14:51:44 GMT

© BBC MMIII