Disarmament is 'Mirage'

The cash-for-weapons program is putting money in insurgents' hands for more armaments, some say.

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.


"We have taken our precautions," sheik Mussa al-Sari, a local militia commander, said. "Our plan is to maintain our strength."

Furthermore, sources close to the militia in Sadr City said some of the gunmen were handing over weapons that are not properly functioning or were considered surplus. In some cases, they threw in one or two pieces in pristine condition to make the process look genuine.

Cash could be used to buy new weapons, the sources said on condition of anonymity. The process also doesn't require those surrendering weapons to prove al-Mahdi Army membership, meaning ordinary Iraqis were able to trade guns for cash.

On Tuesday, a woman in a black cloak, or abaya, turned in what looked like an antique rifle.

"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.

In other developments:

Separate roadside bomb attacks killed four American soldiers in Baghdad, as American troops and Iraqi soldiers stepped up pressure on Sunni insurgents before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this week.

Last year, insurgents sharply increased attacks against U.S. and coalition forces at the start of the holy month.

One soldier was killed in an explosion about 4:50 a.m. today in western Baghdad, the U.S. command said. The three others died in a roadside attack about 10 p.m. Tuesday in eastern Baghdad, a separate military statement said. The names of the soldiers were withheld pending notification of their families.

Hamza Hendawi
The Associated Press