UN Protectorates
18-12-2007, 00:32
News Story Link (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2228690,00.html)
With the recent withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, and the official handing over of responsibility for security in Basra from British to Iraqi forces, there are still a number of challenges to overcome. The new Iraqi Police commander, Major General Jalil Khalaf, is stepping up to the plate, and speaking out.
Despite the British presence in Basra since 2003, sectarian militia's and criminal gangs are still rampant in Iraq's second largest city. In General Jalil's words, "They left me militia, they left me gangsters, and they left me all the troubles in the world."
In a short film you can find following the news story link, the new commander declares he will root out criminal and sectarian elements in Basra, in particular serial murderers that target Iraqi women for not subscribing to a strict Islamic dress code. He also criticizes initial British efforts to maintain security. It contains some potentially disturbing images.
Amongst the failings listed by the General are that:
· Basra has become so lawless that in the last three months 45 women have been killed for being "immoral" because they were not fully covered or because they may have given birth outside wedlock;
· The British unintentionally rearmed Shia militias by failing to recognise that Iraqi troops were loyal to more than one authority;
· Shia militia are better armed than his men and control Iraq's main port.
Despite this British foreign secretary David Milliband insists that it was the right time to hand over to Iraqi forces.
"The key conditions for the transfer of security responsibility to the Iraqi security forces are whether they are up to it: do they have the numbers? Do they have the leadership and training to provide leadership for this province? And the answer to those three questions is yes," he said.
British troops are 4,500 strong in Iraq, a number that is due to decrease to 2,500 by mid '08, with the relieved 2000 troops being redeployed to Afghanistan most likely. The remaining troops will stay within the confines of Basra airport entrusted with training the Iraqi security services, and keeping an emergency rapid response team on alert.
However, General Jalil insists that Britain shouldn't withdraw completely from Iraq any time soon, stating that the Iraqi forces still "need the British to help us to watch our borders - both sea and land and we need their intelligence and air support and to keep training the Iraqi police."
Firstly, I would like to say that I commend General Jalil, for not only publicly opposing and decrying Basra's militants, but also for standing up and pointing out mistakes that were made, and that work still needs to be done. So many other military men, Iraqi, British and American are fearful to speak out against the militants and the strategy implemented by our governments.
Also, I'd like to say for a while now, I've been on the fence over the Iraqi conflict ever since 2003. I've fell over on one side, and then clambered over to the other. I'd say that we shouldn't have invaded in the first place on the terms that we did, and that the initial strategy for post-war Iraq was abysmal. However, I read stories such as this, and I feel that we can't abandon individuals like General Jalil. We have to fix what we've broken.
Damn I'm so confused. What do you think? Has it been a mistake to hand over Basra? What should be the new British strategy? Should we abandon progressive Iraqi's like Jalil?
With the recent withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, and the official handing over of responsibility for security in Basra from British to Iraqi forces, there are still a number of challenges to overcome. The new Iraqi Police commander, Major General Jalil Khalaf, is stepping up to the plate, and speaking out.
Despite the British presence in Basra since 2003, sectarian militia's and criminal gangs are still rampant in Iraq's second largest city. In General Jalil's words, "They left me militia, they left me gangsters, and they left me all the troubles in the world."
In a short film you can find following the news story link, the new commander declares he will root out criminal and sectarian elements in Basra, in particular serial murderers that target Iraqi women for not subscribing to a strict Islamic dress code. He also criticizes initial British efforts to maintain security. It contains some potentially disturbing images.
Amongst the failings listed by the General are that:
· Basra has become so lawless that in the last three months 45 women have been killed for being "immoral" because they were not fully covered or because they may have given birth outside wedlock;
· The British unintentionally rearmed Shia militias by failing to recognise that Iraqi troops were loyal to more than one authority;
· Shia militia are better armed than his men and control Iraq's main port.
Despite this British foreign secretary David Milliband insists that it was the right time to hand over to Iraqi forces.
"The key conditions for the transfer of security responsibility to the Iraqi security forces are whether they are up to it: do they have the numbers? Do they have the leadership and training to provide leadership for this province? And the answer to those three questions is yes," he said.
British troops are 4,500 strong in Iraq, a number that is due to decrease to 2,500 by mid '08, with the relieved 2000 troops being redeployed to Afghanistan most likely. The remaining troops will stay within the confines of Basra airport entrusted with training the Iraqi security services, and keeping an emergency rapid response team on alert.
However, General Jalil insists that Britain shouldn't withdraw completely from Iraq any time soon, stating that the Iraqi forces still "need the British to help us to watch our borders - both sea and land and we need their intelligence and air support and to keep training the Iraqi police."
Firstly, I would like to say that I commend General Jalil, for not only publicly opposing and decrying Basra's militants, but also for standing up and pointing out mistakes that were made, and that work still needs to be done. So many other military men, Iraqi, British and American are fearful to speak out against the militants and the strategy implemented by our governments.
Also, I'd like to say for a while now, I've been on the fence over the Iraqi conflict ever since 2003. I've fell over on one side, and then clambered over to the other. I'd say that we shouldn't have invaded in the first place on the terms that we did, and that the initial strategy for post-war Iraq was abysmal. However, I read stories such as this, and I feel that we can't abandon individuals like General Jalil. We have to fix what we've broken.
Damn I'm so confused. What do you think? Has it been a mistake to hand over Basra? What should be the new British strategy? Should we abandon progressive Iraqi's like Jalil?