al-Maliki's grand plan

Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki announced his 24 point plan of peace, brotherhood and understanding today in Baghdad. The odds are stacked, but at least they're trying.

The big question is whether the plan offers amnesty to those who've killed or attacked Coalition forces? Most Americans would consider the answer of "yes" as a show-stopper, after all, none of this love-fest would be possible without our blood, sweat and toil. As of this afternoon MyWay quotes him as saying it will NOT:

Iraq's prime minister unveiled a 24-point national reconciliation initiative Sunday, offering amnesty to insurgents who renounce violence and have not committed terror attacks on American soldiers or Iraqis

While the WaPo doesn't know:

Maliki did not directly address the issue of whether insurgents who attacked U.S. troops would receive amnesty. The reconciliation plan has gone through several revisions, and earlier proposals suggested offering pardons to Iraqis who have attacked U.S. troops. The plan presented today did not make a distinction between crimes against U.S. forces or Iraqis.

The confusion isn't limited to the US media, Omar is also unsure. But it's certainly hard to imagine any plan including the psychopathic followers of these guys, especially the one on the right.

Surely to God they haven't forgotten what just happened? Anything other than luxury accomodations at Abu Ghraib or an appointement with virgins for those practicing such barbarity would represent a huge step backwards. Al-Maliki hints he won't go there:

Maliki said the reconciliation would be offered to those insurgents who were not terrorists or committed to the regime of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

Which produced this shocking reply. That was expected, and to counter it al-Maliki has the head Sunni in Parliament onboard, which is another attempt to isolate the Ba'athists from the more moderate (sane) Sunnis. That's really the only strategy left, and it's why "stop it" was figuratively scribbled on every page of Zarqawi's day planner.

Finally, many bloggers were up in arms at the Times (again) for printing leaked classified drawdown plans being worked up by General Casey. However, as much as I hate not taking another potshot at the Old Grey Harlot, this leak surely had to come from the Pentagon and occurred simultaneous to the announcement of the plan. Maybe that's no coincidence. Leaks about troop drawdowns have happened before, perhaps as a way to gauge insurgent reaction, and were followed by no drawdowns.

In this case the leak could be considered an olive branch, and right now they need lots of bread-buttering and back scratching to get this done. So far the initial reaction sounds promising.