Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Baghdad, Apr 7, (VOI) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said on Monday that the Basra incidents and the recent security developments in the country are considered an important step toward establishing a state of law.

“The Basra incidents are a message to all the outlaws who oppose democracy,” al-Maliki said during his meeting with the accredited ambassadors in Baghdad.

“The step represents the government’s justice when dealing with those who violate the law,” he added.

“The military operations targeted more than one militia and we took a decisive decision to expel and try them according to the military courts,” the premier noted.

“We urge our apparatuses to be neutral and protect the human right,” he said, explaining that he had to take the decision to fight gunmen in Basra.

“There was no real authority of the Basra local government and the real power was in the hand of the militias,” al-Maliki underlined.

He praised all efforts that supported the government against the militias, asserting that “we want to stop the activity of all armed groups.”

Basra province, 590 km south of Baghdad, witnessed six days of bloody armed confrontations between governmental forces and Mahdi Army militia.

Clashes ended when the Shiite leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, ordered his followers to abort “all armed scenes,” and to cooperate with governmental forces to impose security and law.
The clashes left 210 gunmen killed and 600 others wounded as well as the arrest of 155 during Operation Saulat al-Foursan (Knights’ Assault), aimed at eliminating all armed groups in the southern Iraqi city.