Hiti, who said he is a retired general from the former Iraqi army, said he and the majority of the fighters and Sunni officers do not believe in the ISIS doctrine, but they share the same trench now, and it is hard to separate them.
Hiti said there were initiatives to resolve the crisis when it first grew serious in Fallujah in February, but to no avail. “On Feb. 14, 2014, an initiative to resolve the crisis in Fallujah was suggested. It consisted of granting amnesty to Sunni insurgents and to make changes in government policies, in exchange for handing over or fighting the ISIS fighters in the city. However, we rejected it in general, and suggested another solution that includes the creation of safe corridors for the safe exit of the ISIS fighters from Fallujah.”
Hiti said, "There are demands for a government change, constitutional amendment and the abolishment of some laws that Sunnis consider to be issued against them, such as the anti-terror legislation and the de-Baathification law. This is in addition to the fresh start between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, among other claims." Hiti believes such measures will not defeat ISIS, but will weaken its ability to gain support on the ground.
Another suggestion was raised to separate the gunmen from ISIS. According to Hiti, it consisted of issuing an all-inclusive general amnesty, with the criteria of being ready to put down weapons and declare one's belief that Iraq is an independent, unified state governed by civil rule. Such a measure would directly isolate ISIS, which does not believe in the state or national boundaries, and considers democratic elections “blasphemous.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced an amnesty for militants on July 2, except for those whose hands are stained with blood. This step is unlikely to persuade militants to lay down their weapons. In fact, the Iraqi government had announced a similar amnesty in 2008, but the prime minister later admitted this amnesty was a bad choice as it led to the release of murderers and hooligans.
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