Friday, May 06, 2005
The Salvador Plan
US forming up Iraq death squads
But even more ruthless methods may be having a greater effect on squeezing the insurgency. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal from February 16, numerous "pop-up militias" thousands strong are proliferating in Iraq. Not only are many of these shadowy militias linked to Iraqi politicians, but the Pentagon is arming, training, and funding them for use in counter-insurgency operations.
Most disturbing, one militia in particular--the "Special Police Commandos"--is being used extensively and has been singled out by a U.S. general for conducting death squad strikes known as the "Salvador option." The Police Commandos also appear to be a reconstituted Hussein security force operating under the same revived government body, the General Security Directorate, that was formerly tasked with suppressing internal dissent.
...Thabit told the Armed Forces Press Service last October that the Commandos are drawn from "police who have previous experience fighting terrorism and also people who received special training under the former regime" of Saddam Hussein. A report from October 20, 2004, also quotes U.S. Army Col. James H. Coffman Jr., who specifies that Police Commandos are "former special forces and [former Directorate of General Security] personnel...."
ZMag via Smirking Chimp
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