Reuters: U.S. looks to Iraq PM for lead on curbing militias

[Eugene]

U.S. looks to Iraq PM for lead on curbing militias

By Alastair Macdonald
Reuters
Wednesday, September 27, 2006; 3:50 PM

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. commanders in Iraq are looking to Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki to give a lead on when security forces can begin to crack
down on party militias blamed for much current violence, a top general said
on Wednesday.

"We have to fix this militia issue. We can't have armed militias competing
with Iraq's security forces," Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli, the second
ranking U.S. commander in the country, told reporters.

"But I have to trust the prime minister to decide when it is that we do that,"
he said in remarks that appeared to place the onus on the Iraqi premier to give
a green light to action.

-snip-

U.S. commanders are well aware of the difficulties facing Maliki in making good
on his commitments to curb armed groups allied to his own government allies,
but have made clear that they expect action before too long to address the issue.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/27/AR2006092701357.html

Also: Iraq government asked to begin disarming militias

BTW, didn't the generals promise to curb the violence in Baghdad by September?