Region | Iraq
Iraqi PM Al Maliki declares emergency in troubled Basra
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki promised to crack down on sectarian gangs in Basra and declared a month-long state of emergency in the southern city on Wednesday amid increasing violence in the restive region.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 May 31, 2006
Basra, Iraq: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki promised to crack down on sectarian gangs in Basra and declared a month-long state of emergency in the southern city on Wednesday amid increasing violence in the restive region.
The Shiite prime minister traveled to Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometres southeast of Baghdad, with his Sunni Arab vice president, Tariq Al Hashimi.
Both leaders said security must be restored before prosperity could be restored to the port city strategically located on the Arabian Gulf.
Al Maliki later declared a state of emergency in the southern city of Basra, amid mounting violence, said Sayed Mohammad Al Haidari, a top Shiite official who was traveling with the prime minister. It was the only state of emergency in effect across Iraq, according to officials.
Al Maliki, who took office on May 20 pledging to rein in relentless violence plaguing Iraq, also announced the formation of a four-person security committee to deal with the situation in Basra during the state of emergency.
It was not immediately clear whether British troops patrolling Iraq's mainly Shiite south, including Basra, would play any role in the security operation.
Other cities, such as Baghdad and Ramadi, have curfews.
"The state of emergency imposed in Basra for one month is made up of a group of exceptional measures imposed for a specific time by the prime minister for dealing with some events," Interior Ministry Undersecretary Major-General Ahmed Al Khafaji said from Basra.
He added that "Basra is the only province in Iraq that has a state of emergency.
Tensions have been worsening in the Shiite-dominated area, where Britain has about 8,000 soldiers, and mostly Shiite militias have been attacking Sunnis and battling each other.
Standing at a podium with an Iraqi flag as a backdrop, Al Maliki issued a strong denunciation of a wave of killings and kidnappings that Sunni religious leaders have blamed on Shiite death squads.
"We shall use an iron fist against the leaders of the gangs or those who threaten security," he said, apparently referring to the militias as well as rival tribal groups. "And we shall ask all security departments to draw up an effective and quick plan to achieve security."
Al Maliki was addressing about 700 tribal sheiks, religious leaders, officials, army officers and other residents in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometres southeast of Baghdad.
Shouting broke out in the auditorium before Al Maliki delivered his speech, with several tribal leaders accusing local officials and security forces of being behind the mounting violence. But the prime minister calmed them down from the podium, saying "we cannot negotiate with everybody shouting."
"A security committee will be formed to defuse the crisis, starting with the disarming of society here in Basra, including the militias and tribes," said Hashimi.
He said checkpoints would be set up to search cars for illegal weapons, adding that many of the tribes had heavy weapons such as mortars.
"This is one of the major reasons for the chaos," he said.
In Baghdad, four people were killed when insurgents assaulted a police station, a sports commentator was shot dead near his home, and around 40 bodies were recovered in and around the capital.
Over the past two days alone more than 100 people have been killed in a wave of bombings and shootings in Iraq, where the United States has reported gains in developing local forces but a rise in attacks, higher casualties and greater sectarian violence.
Share this article
Related Articles
Popular in News
News Editor's choice
-
Ajtebi's phenomenal assent
The former camel jockey was at the peak of his powers when upstaging Garret Gomez
-
US pushing for more aid to Philippines
Obama administration eyeing $667m security assistance package
-
Mohammad launches H1N1 campaign
Shaikh Mohammad was the first one to receive the H1N1 vaccine.
