Disarmament is 'mirage'

[bemildred]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A weapons-for-cash program designed to disarm Shiite militiamen who have been fighting American troops is unlikely to weaken the movement of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in his Baghdad stronghold - but is proving to be an economic bonanza for residents.

Senior aides of al-Sadr and local commanders of his al-Mahdi Army militia in Sadr City - home to up to 2.5 million people - said the five-day program that began Monday as part of a truce did not mean gunmen would be hard pressed to procure arms if they have to.

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"It's extremely unlikely that al-Sadr's fighters will surrender all their medium and heavy weapons, and, given the widespread availability of military equipment in Iraq, they will be able to easily replace anything they give up, especially as they are receiving money in exchange for weapons," said Jeremy Binnie, Middle East editor for Jane's Sentinel Security Assessments in London. "The Mahdi Army's disarmament is something of a mirage."

The prices on offer for the weapons in Sadr City are tempting in a country with unemployment thought to be 50 percent. They range from $1 for a single bullet, $150 for an assault rifle, $500 for a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and $1,000 for a heavy machine gun.

Albuquerque Journal