Saturday, February 17, 2007
Talabani speaks out on al-Sadr and security plan
Politics, Security
(RFE/RL) President Jalal Talabani told reporters at a February 15 press briefing in Baghdad that the security plan will yield successful results as the weeks progress, state-run Al-Iraqiyah television reported on February 16. Talabani praised the work of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, saying al-Maliki "behaved as an Iraqi who rises above personal inclinations and tendencies."
Asked about the whereabouts of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Talabani said he doesn't have definitive information. "But I think that several influential officials in the Al-Mahdi Army were ordered to leave Iraq. I think they were ordered to do so by [al-Sadr] himself in order to facilitate the government's mission of implementing the Baghdad security plan." Talabani later quoted al-Sadr's aides as saying the cleric is eager to see the security plan succeed, adding that al-Sadr "gave the government the go-ahead to arrest every violator who breaks the law.... Hence, I think that Muqtada al-Sadr's stand is positive and very good," Talabani said.
Labels: al-Maliki, Moqtada Al-Sadr, security plan, Talabani
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Al A'skari warns politicians not to meddle in security plan
Security, Politics
(Al-Sabaah) MP Sami A'skari said that the first phase of the new security plan would be purely Iraqi and that the Commander of the plan would have absolute power. He added in a press statement that Liet. Gen. A'abud Qanbar wouldn’t allow leaders of political blocs to intervene in security forces' affairs, and stressed giving complete powers to the commanders of 10 areas in Baghdad about the same matter. A'skari mentioned that Prime Minister Noori Maliki warned political leaders not to intervene in the security plans and he ordered the Army's officers not to accept any orders from political parties.
Labels: politics, security, security plan
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Abdulmahdi shows Sistani security plan
Security, Politics
(Al-Sabaah) Grand Ayatollah Mr. Ali Sistani received a message from Prime Minister Noori Maliki delivered by the vice president, Dr. A'adel Abdulmahdi, a source accompanying Abdulmahdi said. He added that the vice president showed Sistani the governmental preparations to execute a security plan and its resolution to provide services for citizens simultaneously with its progress on the plan. This indicated the Government's effort to gain the cleric's support for the plan before launching its first step.
Labels: al-Maliki, security plan, Sistani
