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Basra Boomer Shows Shiites Safer With Sadr
I've been waiting for this. Remember, Mookie said the south would be safer with the Brits gone - Sadr said that Basra would become a safer place after the British military left. Rantburg articleA suicide car bomber struck the police headquarters in Basra on Tuesday, killing at least three officers and wounding 20 people amid fears over the southern city's deteriorating security situation. Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad, had been relatively peaceful for much of the war but has seen tensions rise as Shiite militias battle for control of the oil-rich area. Maj. Gen. Abdul-Jalil Khalaf, Basra's police chief, said one of the suicide bomber's legs had been found tied to the steering wheel, and he blamed al-Qaida in Iraq for the attack. "It seems that al-Qaida wants to make use of the fragile situation in the city caused by the tension among the parties and the city's officials," he said. "We cannot say that there is a security vacuum, but the security measures are less strong in the day than the night. After this attack, we will increase the police patrols in the day." Security concerns also rose after the British military last month pulled back its troops out of the city to a nearby airport to allow Iraqi security forces to take over a move being closely watched by the U.S. military as it anticipates the eventual withdrawal of American forces in other areas of Iraq. The violence to the north and south of the capital reflects the political and security obstacles that have slowed the progress of the Shiite-led government as it tries to assert control and stability so U.S.-led troops can go home. Posted by: Bobby 2007-09-25 |
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