Southern Iraq security deteriorating despite British troops

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi Defence Minister Abdel Qader Jassim Mohammed has said that the security situation in the southern oil city of Basra was getting worse despite the presence of British troops.

"The security situation in Basra is deteriorating because of political differences, organised crime and clan feuds," he admitted at a joint news conference with visiting British Defence Minister Des Browne Monday.

The Iraqi minister said that the solution to the problems in Iraq's second city, where there have been a number of recent armed clashes and bombings, would be a political rather than a military one.

Since May, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has set up a committee to oversee a state of emergency in Basra, where rival Shiite tribes and political groups are vying for control of government and oil resources.

Britain has begun to withdraw its forces from some areas of southern Iraq as local units gradually assume control, but it maintains a large base in Basra and has been working closely with the government on its security plan.

"Our two countries have a shared history and we will continue to support the Iraqi people as friends," Browne told reporters, at the start of a brief unannounced visit to Baghdad.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060828/wl_uk_afp/iraqunrestbritain

[babylonsister]

1. IIRC, the British troops moved out of the south last week. Will

go look for a link.

Edit to add:

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1252772006

Over 1,000 British troops pull out of southern Iraq

BRITISH troops yesterday pulled out of a camp in southern Iraq where a soldier was wounded in a mortar attack on Wednesday, and handed the position over to local forces.

More than 1,000 troops have left Camp Abu Naji to concentrate on border patrols and help the Iraqis tackle smuggling, especially of weapons from Iran.

The move comes in advance of the anticipated handover of the Maysan province to the domestic army and police, currently being trained by UK forces.

The camp - including £292,000 worth of facilities such as catering, accommodation and watchtowers - will be occupied by the local forces.

Defence chiefs ruled it was not economically viable to bring the equipment back to the UK.

Senior defence sources indicated earlier this week that Britain's military presence in Iraq could be halved within a year as Iraqi forces assume responsibility for security.

Abu Naji has come under frequent attack, suffering a barrage of 17 mortar rounds the day before the pull-out, leaving one soldier in hospital. He is described as in a "stable condition".

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Gee - Saddam was doing a better job than the BFEE and the PNACers can . .

.
.
.

All that high-tech weaponry ain't worth shit if the people in control of it have sh*t for brains!

Yeah

That be the USA government.

[damntexdem]

3. But shouldn't that headline read:

"Southern Iraq security deteriorating because of British troops"? Just as all of Iraq is facing a civil war because of the invasion?

[young_at_heart]

4. The invasion of Iraq was a fiasco.....period!

Jimmy Carter has every right to criticize Tony Blair. How can Blair sleep at night?