As British leave Basra, militias dig in
By Sam Dagher
The last contingent of British soldiers based in the center of this southern
city will leave by Friday, says a senior Iraqi security official, adding that a
deal has been struck with leaders of Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army to ensure
their safe departure.
As they pull back to a base outside Basra, the British will leave a vital
provincial capital in the throes of a turf battle between Shiite factions one
that Mr. Sadr's militia appears to be winning.
"By the end of August, there will be no presence for British forces at the
palace or at the joint coordination center. Both will be in the hands of the
Iraqi government," says the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due
to the sensitive nature of the matter. "I think it's best if they leave,
because they did nothing to stop the militias, which were formed in the womb of
their occupation." A spokesman for the British military in Basra confirmed that
a small force left the Provincial Joint Coordination Center (PJCC), site of a
British-Iraqi security task force, Saturday. He declined comment on the timing
of the pullout of 500 soldiers from a compound of four Saddam Hussein-era
palaces that are located on the strategic Shatt al-Arab River. The buildings
have been occupied by coalition troops since the start of the war in 2003.
Ahead of the pullout, an agreement between British and Iraqi authorities
resulted in the transfer of more than two dozen Mahdi Army prisoners from
British to Iraqi custody, according to the security official. They were then
released by an Iraqi court in an attempt to pacify the militias during the
highly symbolic handover of the palaces to Iraqis, he said. The British did not
comment on any arrangements.
The departing force will join 5,000 soldiers at the Shaibah air base, about
10 miles southwest of the city, also home to the US and British consulates.
Unlike their US counterparts elsewhere in Iraq, British forces have been
gradually trimming their presence in the south since May 2003, when they
numbered 18,000.
The Iraqi official says the palaces will be handed over to an Iraqi force
dispatched from Baghdad and will not be given to the controversial provincial
authority, which is embroiled in a power struggle between rival Shiite
political parties. This 3,000-strong Iraqi force will consist of two Army
battalions and elements from the Ministry of Interior's commando unit.
The Mahdi Army, which according to one estimate, numbers about 17,000 in
Basra and is divided into about 40 sariyas (company-size military unit), is the
strongest among its rivals in the militia-infiltrated police force and it has
influence over vital sectors such as health, education, power distribution, and
ports.
Although Basra, an economically important port city in a province with some
of the largest oil deposits in the world, is considerably calmer and less
violent than Baghdad, it faces a low-intensity, yet vicious, battle between the
Mahdi Army and its many competitors that has spread fear and apprehension among
many of the city's estimated 1.8 million residents.
One local official says about 5,000 assassinations have occurred inside the
city in the past two years.
It was at a Friday night meeting when two Mahdi Army commanders and a lawyer
tied to Sadr came to an Iraqi government official's home to ask about one of
their senior leaders. They wanted to know if Sajad was among 26 detainees
released by British forces. Their cases were recently transferred to the Iraqi
judicial system. Half had already been freed because the court deemed the
evidence submitted by the British side insufficient to prosecute them. The rest
have been released on bail, according to the lawyer, Yahya al-Taie.
One commander, who asked not to be named, carefully looked over a list of
detainees until he found Sajad's name. He commands fighters in the city's
Garmat Ali section. His arrest last year was hailed as a coup by British forces
during their offensive against militias in the city as part of Operation Sinbad
that lasted from September 2006 to March 2007.Now, as the British prepare for
departure, Sajad was freed.
"The arrests did not stop the rockets, nor did the rockets defeat the
British," said the security source. "We needed to find an alternative solution
that would calm things down a bit."
The palaces that the British will vacate have been the target of constant
rocket and mortar attacks, which have declined over the past 10 days.
The British military in Basra denied interview requests. In an e-mail,
spokesman Maj. Mike Shearer did not comment on whether the military was aware
of, or involved in, a prisoner release in exchange for a suspension of attacks.
He said that British forces have held more than 2,250 Iraqi suspects since Jan.
1, 2004, including the 26 transferred to the Iraqi court system. They have
released all but 80 prisoners.
The Iraqi official said releasing Mahdi Army fighters combined with the
absence of an excuse for militias to launch attacks on the palace would give
Lt. Gen. Mohan Hafidh, head of the Basra Operations Center appointed by Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki, enough breathing room to stabilize the province.
But the PJCC left by the British Saturday was the scene of a four-hour
looting spree Sunday, according to security officials.
"We will lessen the attacks against them [the British] and we will stop
altogether if they release all our prisoners," said one of the Mahdi Army
leaders at the Friday meeting. A colleague, who appeared more senior,
disagreed: "The resistance will continue until the last soldier leaves Basra."
Indeed, overall attacks against British forces have increased despite the
gradual decline in troop numbers. This year, 41 soldiers have died, compared
with 29 in all of 2006.
Although members of the Mahdi Army pledge allegiance to Sadr, many operate
according to conflicting agendas and some are linked to Iran, according to
security officials. Last week, efforts by police chief Maj. Gen. Jalil Khalaf
to hem in the notoriously corrupt and militia-controlled intelligence and
criminal investigation units of the police force were met with protests and
threats. There have already been two attempts on his life since Mr. Maliki
appointed him three months ago.
A candidate for the same post at the time said the Mahdi Army is the most
formidable force in the province. He said that he was visited by five militia
leaders who told him: "We will support you but people should know you are with
us."
On the streets, there is a sense of jubilation and victory over British
forces. In central Arousa Square, a street was renamed after the "martyr Jaafar
Muhammad," killed in clashes with the British. "He's one of my guys. One of the
valiant heroes of the Imam Mahdi Army," says a bearded company commander who
gave his name as Uncle Abed. "God has blessed us with victory over the
occupation."
Copyright © 2007 The Christian Science Monitor
Michael BWambuga wa Balongo
---------------------------------
Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows.
Yahoo! Answers - Check it out._______________________________________________
Ugandanet mailing list
Ugandanet@kym.net
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
---------------------------------------
