Basra leaders want to take security matters into their hands

Sep 25, 2007, 13:52 GMT

   Basra - Leaders in Basra's Governing Council said Tuesday that Shiite scholars and religious leaders loyal to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani are forming their own operations room to combat violence and targeted assassinations, television reports said.

   The calls for the formation of a new operations room comes in line with accusations against Basra's Police Chief Abdel-Jalil Khalaf, current head of Basra's official operations room that handles security issues in the oil-rich city.

Describing Khalaf as 'inefficient, the Governing Council has already called for his dismissal, a successor to be found and for the dissolution of the operations room.

   Last Friday, Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Karim Bashir and Sheikh Ahmed al- Jabani, two of spiritual leader al-Sistani's representatives in Basra, were killed while Sheikh Adnan al-Jabani, survived an attempt on his life seriously injured.   

Earlier, other aides and leaders of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council were attacked in a similar fashion.

   Khalaf has rejected any blame and told al-Hayat newspaper in statements published Tuesday that his post is legitimate, that he will not leave office and that he enjoys the support of the central government of Baghdad.    

Khalaf was not handed this position through a count of votes, but was directly appointed by the Iraqi cabinet, a notion which might have increased his unpopularity among the local leaders, according to observers.    

Putting the responsibility of violence on his shoulders 'is not rational,' Khalaf said in response to leaders calling for him to leave. He added that he was disappointed that the Governing Council is not cooperative.

    A source in Basra told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that National Security Minister Sharwan al-Waeili had expressed support for Khalaf a day earlier, vowing to send extra military troops into Basra to help control security.

The tension between Khalaf and the Governing Council has been brewing for over three months, the source added.  

The developments on Tuesday have come a few months after the Governing Council of Basra fired Governor Mohammed Misbah al-Waeili, a leader of the Fadhila party.

They had also publicly accused him of failing to quell violence in Basra. Al-Waeili defied their decision and stayed in office.

However, observers said that Shiite groups like Abdel-Aziz al- Hakim's Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council had intentionally campaigned against al-Waeili after his party quit the ruling coalition led by the Daawa and al-Hakim's party. Al-Waeili had also outrun al-Hakim's candidate for the same position by only one vote.    

In the mostly Shiite Basra, even Shiite parties are divided among each other and are said to be competing for a greater stake in domestic politics and Basra's vast oil wealth. Groups vie to appoint leaders in local councils and the police force with a guaranteed allegiance to them.

   Observers said that the recent killings could more likely be linked to an ongoing political power struggle than a security crisis in the city.

In relation to the turmoil in the city, Basra-based Iraqi lawmakers had earlier called on Iraq's interior minister Jawad al- Boulany to resign after failing to curb violence and prevent the series of assassination attempts on important Shiite religious scholars.

   Angry deputies for Basra had slammed the minister saying that he 'has done nothing,' and that Basra and surrounding areas were 'on fire.' The Basra incidents may lead to the questioning of the minister in parliament but this has not been confirmed.