Sistani supports Maliki's plan to integrate militias into Security Forces

[ECH1969]

Speaking after a meeting in the holy city of Najaf with Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, Iraq's prime minister designate Nouri al-Maliki said that his government would work towards integrating militias into the army and police force.

al-Maliki added the Interior and Defense ministries "should be independent and should not be part of any party", adding all weapons should be "at the hand of the government only" which he described as "the only body which is responsible for providing security to the whole people".

In a statement sayyed Sistani supported Maliki's stance on the militias and said "The first task for the government is fighting insecurity and putting an end to the terrorist acts that threaten innocents with death and kidnapping".

http://www.almanar.com.lb/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=648795

[ECH1969]

1. TTT

[saigon68]

2. Religious Militias as police ??

Sounds Like Afghanistan and the Taliban

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Sistani - Iraq cleric calls for disarmament

27 April 2006

Ayatollah Ali Sistani, one of Iraq's most senior Shia clerics, has called for the next government to dismantle militias operating in the country.

The grand ayatollah said only the government should have weapons, and its forces should be loyal to the nation - not to individual political parties.

Many Iraqis blame militias for a sharp rise in violence after the bombing of a Shia mosque in Samarra two months ago.

Iraq's new PM-designate has vowed to take action against the armed groups.

However, Nouri Maliki has not said whether he intends to incorporate them in Iraq's security forces, or try to have them disbanded.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4952060.stm

[Shilohtd16]

4. Sistani has more real control than anyone else in Iraq.

but if he is having the "government" do things instead of his badr brigade it is much less likely to get done.

[Teaser]

5. That's actually not what he said

what he said was he supported Maliki's plan to incorporate them into Iraq's security forces. The article gets that explicitly wrong.

[denverbill]

6. I can't wait to hear what the NRA says about this.

Apparently, Sistani is a gun-grabbing liberal.

[jody]

7. Sistani is saying government cannot protect the people until

the people disarm!

Government should disarm to show how safe and secure citizens are and then citizens might be motivated to lay down their arms.