Militants kill 'drug dealer' (Mosul)

[leftchick]

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11909450%5E1702,00.html


IRAQI militant group Army of Ansar al-Sunna said it killed what it called a drug dealer in the northern city of Mosul and posted a video of the shooting on its website today.

The video showed a man standing in front of a banner bearing the group's name and holding packets of pills in his hands.

"My name is Hussein Ali Hussein, also known as Hussein Haya, and I sell narcotics," the man said before he was blindfolded and shot in the back of the head.

The Sunni Muslim group, which has claimed several attacks and kidnappings in Iraq, has said that the country should be governed by Islamic sharia law and blasted planned national elections this month as an "infidel" practice.

[whistle]

1. Now that sounds like an effective way to wage war on drugs...

...perhaps we should try that approach on the streets of American cities. It certainly would be much cheaper than the way we battle drug distribution now in this country. However, the Iraqi method may be no more effective than the way we do it here in America, because I'm sure the street dealer is way down at the bottom of the distribution chain. Until the people at the top of the chain are taken out, drugs will continue to flow freely in Iraq just as they do in the cities and towns and villages of America.

[Mithras61]

11. Just a thought...

"Until the people at the top of the chain are taken out, drugs will continue to flow freely in Iraq just as they do in the cities and towns and villages of America."

Sounds unrealistic. I mean, wouldn't it be easier (and cheaper) to reduce/eliminate profit in the trade, and to reduce/eliminate demand in the first place? Killing off the suppliers doesn't address the real problem, which is that people want to get wasted. The fact that people want to get wasted (for any number of reasons) won't be changed by eliminating a supplier. Since the demand remains, the supply will be found, one way or another.

Personally, I tend to believe that "people of the book" don't like drugs because their chuches don't want the competition...

[underpants]

2. Sounds like a great way to take over his turf

Don't buy it

[medeak]

3. don't understand this

as Baghdad Burning blog says all drugs are legal and cheap in Iraq..and tranquilizers of course being the most purchased?

[Tempest]

4. They may be legal according to democratic laws

But they are illegal according to Islamic laws.

Another example of how Islamic rule will be the final result in Iraq.

[jobycom]

6. That is exactly what's happening

"Another example of how Islamic rule will be the final result in Iraq."

That's exactly what this incident is. It's a message to all Iraqis that the militants can protect them better than the Americans. It's a reminder that Americans are too permissive on drugs and sex and such. And it's a Godfather-esque ploy for the support of the common folk. You have a problem, you come to us, we solve it. Forget the Americans.

Despite what your high school history texts may have led you to believe, no one ever conquers a country by decapitating it. They have to win the hearts of the people. In that way, almost every nation is a democracy. They may not choose their leaders directly, but they get the leaders they are willing to tolerate, who get things done. Iraq wasn't the way it was because of Hussein. Hussein was the way he was because of Iraq. It took a strong, bloody tyrant to control the many different violent factions of Iraq. I doubt anyone liked Hussein much, but they liked lawlessness and civil war less, and so Hussein was it.

What we will ultimately find is that they like us less than they like civil war, and much less than they like strong, bloody leaders who can bring peace to their daily lives. You know how people say "Live free of die?" Not many people really believe that when it's a real choice and not just a catchy jingle. Especially when the "live free" part turns out to a mirage.

[NYC]

5. They do not identify the drugs.

The man mentioned "narcotics". Were they illegal drugs? Was he a pharmacist?

Very vague article.

[Renew Deal]

7. Hey, we have a war on drugs to fight.

Where are these guys?

[egoprofit]

8. didn't they do this in the 50's?

i remember seeing a US film on drugs where they mentioned that dealers, called "peddlers" back then, were commonly executed without futher thought...

to me this sounds kinda fishy, maybe that group is just trying to gain public interest from the iraqi people...

[JoFerret]

9. Eli Lilly?

Is this the way to deal with the BigPharm blight and the pill peddlers and their enablers in Congress?

[jayfish]

10. WOW!

Now that they have started to kill common criminals they have earned the "militant" moniker. If they keep this kind of thing up we'll be calling them "officer". Things are looking up.

Jay

[despairing optimist]

12. Gee, what do they do to cigarette smokers?