Iraq 'won't hesitate' to impose martial law

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Less than two weeks before the U.S. coalition is set to transfer sovereignty to Iraq, the country's interim interior minister would not rule out the declaration of martial law if insurgent attacks on Iraqis continue.

Falah al-Nakib was speaking at a news conference just after 35 people were killed in a car bombing on Thursday in Baghdad.

"If we need to do it, yes, we'll do it. We won't hesitate," said al-Nakib, responding to a question about a possible declaration. "This is the security of our country. This is the security and life of our people."

The U.S.-led coalition is examining the legal implications of martial law in Iraq after sovereignty is restored on June 30, a senior coalition official told CNN Friday.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/18/iraq.main/index.html

Well, it sure is nice to know that we have instilled the Iraqis with such a love of democracy that it requires troops to enforce it.

It would be worth a laugh if it weren't so tragic.

According to my dictionary, martial law is military government, suspending ordinary law. Gosh...sounds a lot like the way Saddam ran the portion of Iraq he controlled. Yep, it's great to know we've brought democracy to the middle east.

Tired Old Cynic

A WHOLE lot of how we are running it now.

Maybe Iraqi martial law wont be as brutal as US martial law and occupation.

to be ignored by the mainstream press.

Thank you for your comment and for your welcome to DU. It's my first, I think. Took awhile, but glad I finally screwed up the courage to do some posts!

you can teach more by speaking up. ;^)

than it already is

A law without teeth?

The military in Iraq is US. On July 1 they declare martial law and presto, everything is back the way it was before the handover. I'd wondered how they'd manage explaining this to the rest of the world. Now I know.

If martial law had been imposed when US troops entered Baghdad we wouldn't be in the state we are now. The looting would have been arrested before it trashed the entire city.
The killings, abductions and kidnappings, Iraqi on Iraqi crime has spiralled out of control, resulting in an exodus of professional people that are sorely needed to rebuild the country.
Short sharp shock, crack the whip, then ease up slowly.
This can only be done by the Iraqis themselves

I agree with your comments about looting and lawlessness after the invasion. However, I am afraid that the new Iraqi government may not be willing to end martial law even after order is restored. A democratic Iraq many not be in the best interests of the new Iraqi government. When selecting Iraqis to support, the Bush administration apparently did not consider such factors as honesty and character. Indeed, if Chalabi is any indication, this government may be fairly corrupt. They may enjoy unlimited access to Iraq's resources with no oversight. Moreover, they may fear the consequences of turning over power to the Iraqi people.