| The U.S. military, struggling to restore law and order, on Saturday gave Iraqis three weeks to hand in automatic and heavy weapons as part of a campaign to crackdown on lawlessness after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
"Starting June 1, the people of Iraq will have a 14-day amnesty period to turn in unauthorized weapons to coalition forces at weapons control points here and throughout the country," the military said in a statement in Baghdad.
"After June 14, individuals caught with unauthorized weapons will be detained and face criminal charges."
Many people have weapons in Iraq, where guns are an expression of masculinity.
After the toppling of Saddam on April 9, looting of public and private institutions and homes swept the country and stolen weapons -- from pistols and AK-47 assault rifles to anti-tank grenades -- are sold on the streets at low prices.
Iraqis complain that with such anarchy and the abundance of weapons, the crime rate has reached unprecedented levels and the security situation is the worst in Iraq's modern history.
"No one in Iraq, unless authorized, may possess, conceal, hide or bury these weapons," the U.S. military said. "No one can trade, sell, barter, give or exchange automatic or heavy weapons with or to any person who is not an authorized representative of coalition forces."
Small arms -- including automatic rifles firing ammunition up to 7.62mm, semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols -- may be kept in homes and in a place of business, but may not be taken out in public, it said.
"Individuals will be instructed to turn in unauthorized weapons by placing the unloaded, disassembled weapon into a clear plastic bag provided by Coalition forces and walk slowly to the collection point. Collection points will be at designated locations like police stations and jointly manned by Iraqi and Coalition forces," it said.
It said weapons turned over to U.S.-led forces would either be destroyed or set aside for use by the new Iraqi army or police forces.
The U.S. civil administrator dissolved the defeated Iraqi armed forces on Friday, saying a new army would be formed.
Thousands of Iraqi police are returning to work across Iraq but the force is still too little and ill-equipped to be able to restore law and order.
Source: Reuters | |
