Friday, May 18, 2007
Maliki pledges to clamp down on clashes in Nasiriyah
Politics, Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraqi Prime Minister pledged to act strictly with any violation of law, referring to the clashes erupted on Wednesday in the city of Nassiriyah in southern Iraq, the presidential office said. This came during al-Maliki's meeting with the Political Council for National Security, chaired by Iraq's President Jalal Talabani.
"The council held on Wednesday night a meeting headed by President Talabani in the presence of Premier Nouri al-Maliki, Head of the Unified Iraqi Coalition, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the two Vice Presidents Adel Abdul-Mahdi and Tareq al-Hashemi and the House Speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani," Talabani's office said in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on Thursday.
"President Talabani also posted the meeting with the outcome of his recent visit to Britain and his meeting with the outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair," the statement added. The meeting was also attended by a number of senior Iraqi officials and lawmakers. On Wednesday, fierce clashes erupted between Iraqi police forces and militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriyah that left scores of casualties.
The Political Council for National Security was established in mid 2006 after forming the current Iraqi government under Nouri al-Maliki. It consists of the Iraq's president and the premier and speaker of the parliament, the two vice presidents, the premier's two deputies, president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, head of the supreme court and heads of the parliamentarian blocs. The council, a consultative body, tackles the political and security developments in the country.
"The council held on Wednesday night a meeting headed by President Talabani in the presence of Premier Nouri al-Maliki, Head of the Unified Iraqi Coalition, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the two Vice Presidents Adel Abdul-Mahdi and Tareq al-Hashemi and the House Speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani," Talabani's office said in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on Thursday.
"President Talabani also posted the meeting with the outcome of his recent visit to Britain and his meeting with the outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair," the statement added. The meeting was also attended by a number of senior Iraqi officials and lawmakers. On Wednesday, fierce clashes erupted between Iraqi police forces and militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriyah that left scores of casualties.
The Political Council for National Security was established in mid 2006 after forming the current Iraqi government under Nouri al-Maliki. It consists of the Iraq's president and the premier and speaker of the parliament, the two vice presidents, the premier's two deputies, president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, head of the supreme court and heads of the parliamentarian blocs. The council, a consultative body, tackles the political and security developments in the country.
Labels: Iraqi Army, Mahdi Army, Nasiriyah, Nouri Al-Maliki, Political Council for National Security
