Friday, September 29, 2006
Iraqi, U.K. forces launch operation in Basrah
Security
Some 2,300 Iraqi and 1,000 British soldiers on September 27 launched Operation Sinbad, which is aimed at rounding up insurgents and militias operating in Al-Basrah, AP reported. The operation is supported by another 2,000 British soldiers stationed in the area, U.K. military spokesman Major Charlie Burbridge told AP.
Burbridge said the operation "is akin" to Operation Together Forward, which was launched in Baghdad in June. Operation Sinbad will likely last several months, he said. "We're gradually inching our way forward," Burbridge noted, adding that the end goal is to secure the city so that Iraqi forces can take over security responsibility. Part of the operation will focus on police corruption, with a special team going station by station to weed out corrupt officers, he said. It will also focus on raising the standard of living for local residents through employment programs, initially aimed at infrastructure repairs, hospital restoration, and revitalizing a date plantation. "In time, it will employ several thousands of people," Burbridge said.
In June, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared a state of emergency in Basrah following a rise in violence among mostly Shiite groups competing for power. Since January 2005, the city has fallen under the influence of Shiite militias, which have infiltrated police and government institutions there.
