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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, July 8, 2004

IRAQ LAUNCHES EMERGENCY LAW BAGHDAD ø Iraq's new interim government has acquired the power to impose martial law.

Officials said the government has claimed the authority to impose curfews, ban demonstrations, conduct search operations, detain individuals with firearms and freeze assets of suspected insurgents. The new powers announced by the government also enabled authorities to conduct intensive surveillance of suspected insurgents, including monitoring their telephones, faxes and e-mail communications.

The period of martial law was set at 60 days, which could then be renewed, officials said. They said the government was likely to maintain the emergency measures until after national elections, scheduled for January 2005.

"We realize this law might restrict some liberties," Justice Minister Malik Al Hassan said. "But there are a number of guarantees. We have tried to guarantee justice and also to guarantee human rights."

Prime Minister Iyad Alawi would require approval from the Presidential Council to launch the emergency measures. The council is composed of the president and two vice presidents.

Officials said the emergency law allowed authorities to declare martial rule in any area of Iraq deemed as endangered by insurgents. They said the measures were meant to restrict the movement of foreigners suspected of having entered Iraq to join the insurgency.

The insurgents have included fighters from a range of Middle East countries. Officials said they included those from Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey.

The measures were meant to reverse the growing paralysis in local and national government caused by daily insurgency attacks. Officials said government employees have refused to report to work amid the suicide car bombing campaign by Al Qaida-aligned insurgents aided by loyalists to Saddam Hussein. They said the problem has been endemic throughout Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle.

Iraqi officials did not specify what role the United States would have in enforcing martial law in Iraq. In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it was too early to tell what role U.S. or coalition forces would play under the new security measures adopted by the Iraqi government.

The announcement of emergency law came as the Iraqi Cabinet was discussing an amnesty offer for Iraqi insurgents. They said the offer would not include those who ordered suicide bombings that resulted in casualties.


Copyright © 2004 East West Services, Inc.

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