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March 04, 2005
In Iraq, Freedom = Martial Law
In case you foolishly thought that the Iraqis were free now that they'd held elections:
Iraq's interim government said on Thursday it was extending emergency powers equivalent to martial law for a further 30 days to crack down on insurgents.
The state of emergency, first imposed in November ahead of a major U.S. assault on the rebel stronghold of Falluja west of Baghdad, would stay in effect into March 31, said a government statement.
Emergency powers allow the government to impose curfews, close borders and airports and detain suspects without following normal legal procedures. The emergency applies to all regions of Iraq except the Kurdish north, which has been relatively stable.
What happens if they just keep extending martial law? Does Allawi get to stay in power indefinitely? Do they ever have to have another election or even seat the people who won the first one? I guess it's okay, though, since it's being done "to crack down on insurgents."
(Thanks to Antiwar.com for this link.)
Posted by Mike Tennant at March 4, 2005 10:55 AM
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