Greenstock: Chalabi's recommendations were behind bad estimates on the Iraqi resistance; Marine hostage status unkown
Iraq-USA, Politics, 7/5/2004

The American occupation army said that it has no evidence proving that an armed group had actually executed the American- Lebanese hostage, a member of the American marines in Iraq.

The spokesman for the marines forces T.V. said " for us he is held. Nobody can predict about his fate." This American position came after an electronic message sent by Abdullah al-Hassan Bin Mahmoud who described himself as the prince of the " Ansar al-Sunni " army to the US President George W. Bush in which he said " Your Excellency, the soldier of the marines army, of the Lebanese origin Hassaoun was executed, and you will see the film in your own eyes." In Lebanon, the Lebanese foreign minister contradicted the statements made earlier on Sunday by officials in his ministry and stressed that there is no confirmation that Hassoun was killed in Iraq.

The Lebanese FM Jean Obeid said that all what he knows is the statement issued by the kidnappers group. He explained that the Lebanese charge de affairs in Iraq is contacting persons who have indirect links with the kidnappers.

These developments came at a time when the Iraqi government is preparing to issue a general amnesty for those it called " the 'misled' who took part in the Iraqi resistance operations." The spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi said that " the Iraqi government knows well that there are many of the misled Iraqis, including among themselves whose who are in need the money and are without jobs and get themselves involved in acts of violence or what is called resistance." The official explained that the pardoning will include expanded detailed about the persons who will be entitled, noting that the pardoning will include those who worked with the resistance but under the condition that they did not take part in killing any one, but own heavy weapons.

Meantime, the former British representative to Iraq Jermy Greenstock considered yesterday that " Washington underestimated the difficulty if establishing security in Iraq after invading the country because it " chose the wrong analysis " under the influence of the chairman of the Iraqi national congress Ahmad Chalabi.

In a televised statement with the BBC TV Greenstock said this happened despite the fact that " American documents and other British ones were indicating that the matter will be very difficult."

Meanwhile, news reports in Baghdad said that a booby trapped car blew up on the highway in Abu Ghreib to the west of the Iraqi capital while one American military vehicle was passing by. While the American side did not announce the volume of losses and casualties in the incident, American helicopters were seen in the sky of the area.

The Iraqi police announced it has detained 6 persons suspected to be members in Ansar al-Islam group which is accused by Washington of having links with al-Qaida organization.

Previous Stories:
  France support Saddam's legitimate court, Iran wants it to be open   (7/3/2004)
  UN calls for a just trial for Saddam Hussein   (7/3/2004)
  Jordan is ready to dispatch forces to Iraq   (7/3/2004)

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