Parliament speaker warns troops not to attack Tel Affar

 

By Ali Kahlil

 

Azzaman, July 28, 2005

 

Parliament speaker Hajim al-Hassani has warned both U.S. and Iraqi troops against the use of military force in solving the tense situation in Tel Affar.

 

“We need not repeat the experience of Falluja,” Hassani said when asked about reports that the troops were preparing for an assault on the restive city.

 

Last year U.S. troops attacked Falluja, causing large-scale destruction and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.

 

Hassani made the remarks during an audience with Tel Affar notables who visited him to explain conditions in their city.

 

Tel Affar, west of the northern city of Mosul, is believed to be a major stronghold for insurgents battling U.S. troops and the Iraqi government.

 

Hassani said while the government was keen to return peace to the city, the use “of the military option would be a dangerous thing that should not be allowed to happen as it did in Falluja.”

 

Tel Affar is a big city with 300,000 people, plus another 270,000 in the suburbs, giving a total of 570,000.

 

Most of them are Turkomen, an ethnic Turkish group in Iraq, long neglected by the Arab-dominated central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish regional authorities in Arbil.

 

The notables, mainly tribal leaders, wanted the government to resort to peaceful means to bring tranquility to the city.

 

Hassani urged them to cooperate with the security forces by providing tips on insurgents and violent groups.

 

He promised he would demand the government to move quickly to reconstruct the city once stability returns.

 

Most of the sprawling city and many of the outlying villages and towns are under insurgent control.

 

Most of Tel Affar inhabitants have fled their city following unconfirmed reports that U.S. troops would attack the city to bring it under government control.