- BAGHDAD -- The general selected
by the US marines to command a new Iraqi force in Fallujah has been abruptly
replaced after he denied that there were foreign fighters in the insurgent
city and blamed America for fomenting the bloody rebellion there.
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- Maj Gen Jassim Mohammed Saleh, a former member of Saddam
Hussein's Republican Guard, was trumpeted by local US commanders as the
type of strong man who could pacify the 2,000 gunmen in Fallujah.
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- But in an indication of American desperation, it emerged
that Gen Saleh had been selected even though little was known about him.
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- One of his main tasks was to ensure that an estimated
several hundred foreign fighters were handed over to coalition forces.
On Saturday, Lt Gen James Conway, the US marines commander, said the general
was ready to deal with them.
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- Shortly afterwards, Gen Saleh said: "There are no
foreign fighters in Fallujah and the local tribal leaders have told me
the same.
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- "The reasons for the resistance go back to the American
provocations, the raids and abolishing the army, which made Iraqis join
the resistance."
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- Yesterday, coalition officials in Baghdad said Maj Gen
Mohammed Latif, a military intelligence officer thought to have been exiled
by Saddam, would take charge of the new Fallujah force and Gen Saleh would
be a subordinate.
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- The appearance of Gen Saleh on the streets of Fallujah
enraged several senior Iraqi politicians.
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- Iyad Allawi, the defence minister, said: "There
is no place in the new Iraqi army for officers of Saddam's Republican Guard
or those who have committed crimes against the Iraqi people."
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/05/04/
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