Iraq: May 24, 2003

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The fighting isn't over. Saddam controlled Iraq via a force of over half a million soldiers, police and secret police. All these guys are now out of work, but many still have their weapons and a desire to live as well as they used to. The coalition plans to deal with this by collecting as many illegal weapons as possible in the next two weeks. Amnesties and threats are being used, and some violence is expected. To deal with this, coalition troops have been hiring men in each neighborhood to keep an eye on who is naughty and nice, as well as what social services and construction (of utilities) are needed. The "neighborhood watch" also perform some repairs. The idea is to use these groups, many of them led by an English speaking Iraqi, as a grass roots organization to run elections and provide candidates for local political offices. 

 

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