Militias stronger than police in Basra, police chief says

[sabra]

Source: Azzaman

The police forces charged with security in Basra are no match to the heavily armed militia groups in the southern city, Basra’s police chief said.

Lt. Gen. Jaleel al-Shuwaili said the militias administered the main ports and terminals in the province of which Basra is the capital and that his forces were incapable of reinstating law and order.

Running Basra’s ports, which include terminals from which most of the country’s oil is loaded for exports, has turned into the life-line for the disparate militia groups in the city.

The militias are reported to have even infiltrated the city’s security forces and police, facilitating their growing smuggling activities.

...

The police are powerless to investigate the rising crime incidence and in fact are too scared to bring the group accused of killing women for not dressing ‘properly’ in line with strict Islamic rules to justice.


Read more: http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news/2007-12-27/kurd.htm