Iraq takes away excuse for insurgents

AFX/Forbes:

Iraq's prime minister Nuri al-Maliki today presented parliament with his long-awaited national reconciliation plan aimed at ending the violence plaguing the country.

'The plan is open to all those who want to enter the political process to build their country and save their people, as long as they did not commit crimes,' Maliki told MPs.

'Reconciliation and national dialogue does not mean honouring and reaching out to the killers and criminals, no and a thousand nos -- there is no reconciliation with those until they are punished for their crimes.'

Maliki said the initiative, first floated on June 6, will be open only to those rebels who have realised the 'futility' of opposing the political process that has produced a new constitution and an elected government.

'We know that there is a segment that has followed the devil's road and were embraced by the forces of darkness and the 'mukhabarat' will continue to commit crimes,' Maliki said, referring to the feared intelligence services of the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein.

'To those who want to build and reconcile, we extend our hand with an olive branch to build our nation. To those who insist on aggression, terror and killing, we will confront them with firmness to protect our people.'

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It is unclear how many will take advantage of this proposal, or how many can survive accepting it. But, it does stregthen Iraq's new government by taking away the excuses of the rejectionist portion of he insurgency. The former regime elements with blood on their hands will continue to act like the KKK as will what remains of al Qaeda's battered organization.