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Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 2:07 PM Subject: [voices-internal] WAR IN IRAQ MILITARY: US-backed militia terrorises town > WAR IN IRAQ MILITARY: US-backed militia terrorises town > By Charles Clover in Najaf > Financial Times; Apr 09, 2003 > > > Hay Al Ansar, on the outskirts of Najaf in Iraq, was glad to be rid of > Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party government, when the city was seized by US > forces last week. > > But they appear to be just as terrified, if not more so, of their new > rulers -a little-known Iraqi militia backed by the US special forces and > headquartered in a compound nearby. > > The Iraqi Coalition of National Unity (ICNU), which appeared in the city > last week riding on US special forces vehicles, has taken to looting and > terrorising their neighbourhood with impunity, according to most > residents. > > "They steal and steal," said a man living near the Medresa al Tayif > school, calling himself Abu Zeinab. "They threaten us, saying: 'We are > with the Americans, you can do nothing to us'." > > Sa'ida al Hamed, another resident, said she witnessed looting by the > ICNU and other armed gangs in the city, which lost its police force when > the government fled last week. One man told a US army translator on > Monday that he was taken out of his house and beaten by ICNU forces when > he refused to give them his car. They took it anyway. > > If true, the testimony of residents reveals a darker side to US policy > in Iraq. In their distaste for peacekeeping and eagerness to hand the > ruling of Iraq back to Iraqis, US forces are in danger of losing the > peace as rapidly as they have won the war. > > US special forces said they were looking into the complaints, which had > been passed to them by US military sources. They declined, however, to > discuss the formation of the group, how its members were chosen, or who > they were. > > The head of the ICNU, who says he is a former colonel in the Iraqi > artillery forces who has been working with the underground opposition > since 1996, announced on Tuesday that he was acting mayor of Najaf, and > his group had taken over administration of the city. > > Other Iraqi exiles, brought in by the CIA and US special forces to help > assemble a local government over the next few days, say the militia is > out of control. > > "They are nobody, and nobody has ever heard of them, all they have is US > backing," said an Arab journalist. > > Abu Zeinab said the ICNU "has no basis in this city, we don't know who > they are". He said the residents, who are predominantly Shia Muslims, > followed only Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, leader of much of the Shia > world, who lives in the city. > > Ayatollah Sistani has so far refused to meet representatives of US > forces and has made no public pronouncements on co-operating with the US > military. Associates say he is "waiting for the situation to become > clearer". > > Hassan Mussawi, a Shia cleric who helps lead the ICNU, said reports of > looting by his group were untrue - fabricated by religious extremists to > discredit his movement. > > He said his group was seeking to arrest former Iraqi government > officials and "collaborators" with Mr Hussein's regime. > > "If they do not resist arrest we hand them over to the Americans. If > they resist then we take measures accordingly." > > The allegations against the ICNU threaten to undermine much of the > goodwill built up by US forces among the citizens of Najaf, who still > cheer troops driving through the city. In an effort to curb rampant > looting, US forces have begun to patrol at night. > > They will not be undertaking police functions, but "if we come upon > looting, we will try to control the situation and disperse those doing > the looting," said Lt Col Marcus De Oliveira, of the 101st Airborne > Division. > > The city's political rivalries appear to be affecting humanitarian > assistance. US special forces have objected to certain Shia leaders > distributing food aid, for fear of their ties to Iran. > > Sixteen truckloads of food from the Kuwait Red Crescent Society is being > distributed according to a ration plan drawn up by the Iraqi Ministry of > Commerce for the United Nation's oil for food programme. > > US forces are also trying to get running water and power returned to the > city, by bringing in a 2.5MW generator from Kuwait to restart the city's > power plant, which was shut off by Iraqi forces. > > Hussein Chilabi, father of a family of six in Chilabat, on the outskirts > of Najaf, said that until running water was restored, his family would > have to drink from canals. "The children are sick in their stomachs from > drinking this water. We need running water more than food, more than > anything right now." > > > -- > Emma Sangster > > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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