Iraqis Urged to Take Up Arms for Defense - Haven't we been killing any Iraqi caught with a weapon?

http://www.courant.com/news/custom/latest/ats-ap_top12jul08,0,1321381.story?coll=hc-utility-sun

BAGHDAD - Prominent Shiite and Sunni politicians called on Iraqi civilians to take up arms to defend themselves after a weekend of violence that claimed more than 220 lives, including 60 who died Sunday in a surge of bombings and shootings around Baghdad.

The calls reflect growing frustration with the inability of Iraqi security forces to prevent extremist attacks. snip

During a news conference Sunday in Baghdad, al-Bayati criticized the security situation in Armili, saying its police force had only 30 members and that the Interior Ministry had finally responded to requests for reinforcements only two days before the attack.

In the absence of enough security forces, al-Bayati said authorities should help residents "arm themselves" for their own protection.

The call for civilians to take up arms in their own defense was echoed Sunday by the country's Sunni Arab vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, who said all Iraqis must "pay the price" for terrorism.

According to that new appalling article in the Nation about how our troops are slaughtering Iraqi civilians.

If they are being told to arm themselves they still need to leave their home to purchase a weapon and then need to return home with their weapon. If they are unlucky enough to get stopped at one of the numerous checkpoints with these weapons good chance they will be shot on the spot and be identified as terrorists.

Sounds like a no win situation to me.

Don