ARAB-US RELATIONS - Jan. 6 - Freeing 500 Iraqi Prisoners.

CPA chief Paul Bremer tells Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) members in Baghdad 506 Sunni Iraqi prisoners held by US forces will be released, beginning on Jan. 7, in an effort at "reconciliation" aimed at ending Sunni guerrilla attacks on coalition forces. The step is part of a broad "carrot and stick" strategy against guerrillas, launched in the wake of Saddam's Dec. 13 capture. A senior CPA official says: "We're going to get tougher on the diehards, but we want to use the carrot approach with the minor violators", with the caveat that this does not represent a political concession to the guerrillas. "Everyone must understand that this programme in no way diminishes our zeal for pursuing the major criminals who plague this country". The programme is seen as answering a central demand by Sunni tribal shaikhs and religious leaders who have long been urging US military commanders to allow them a freer hand to police their own people. The prisoners will be released on the condition they have a "guarantor" who will answer to the CPA for the conduct of their charges. There are some 9,000 detainees in total. The official adds: "We are hoping to have a ripple effect by engaging tribal leaders and community leaders; we are hoping that as a result of this step they will become engaged in this process. We want to send a message to the families and to the community leaders that a reconciliation process is beginning". The prisoner release would also give a boost to Sunni Arab politicians on the IGC who suffer from the perception they are political puppets installed by the US and have been unable to deliver anything of substance to their constituents. Adnan Pachachi became the first Sunni Arab to assume the IGC's monthly rotating presidency at the beginning of January. (Up until now, coalition forces have periodically released prisoners deemed to pose no risk to coalition forces or Iraqis. The 506 prisoners would be the first deemed "violators", albeit minor ones).