SYRIA/IRAQ: Despite Iran's influence, violence in Basra more an internal conflict, says Iraqi FM Zebari

Record ID: 1525989

  • Title: SYRIA/IRAQ: Despite Iran's influence, violence in Basra more an internal conflict, says Iraqi FM Zebari
  • Date: 29th March 2008
  • Summary: (EU) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (MARCH 28, 2008) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER HOSHIYAR ZEBARI SAYING: "Because of some of the mistakes local leaders made before to reach out to these militias, to be lenient or to try to accommodate them, to negotiate with them, they became bolder and this is one reason. Second reason, I think there is upcoming provincial elections and there is a competition for power and influence in many of these provinces. That's why it took place now. I think those elections are scheduled to take place in October so that's why the government had to move quickly and swiftly."
  • Embargoed: 13th April 2008 10:35
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: War / Fighting,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEOABUQ9H7UV8Z7XD7G79R1G9S
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari says recent violence in Basra more an internal conflict between different militias than result of Iranian influence.
    Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, in the Syrian capital Damascus ahead of a two-day Arab League summit, said on Friday (March 28) that despite Iran's influence, violence in the Iraqi city of Basra is more an internal conflict.

    "Iran has an influence but I am not in a position to say whether it is directly involved and so on. But Iran has an influence there. Iran has a consulate in Basra but I think this is more internal conflict of interest between the different political militias who are operating in Basra,"
    Zebari said.
    A four-day-old Iraqi army crackdown on Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army in Basra, Iraq's second city and its gateway to the Gulf, has ignited clashes across the south and has kept the oil industry on edge.
    The situation in Basra was tense on Friday (March 28), after U.S.
    forces launched air strikes in the city for the first time and battled militants in Baghdad.
    Despite the extension of a deadline that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki gave to Shi'ite militia in the city to hand in their weapons, gunmen with heavy machine guns were deploying in the streets, showing that they are in control and ready to fight with Iraqi security forces.
    The fighting has exposed a deep rift within Iraq's majority Shi'ite community and proven a gamble for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose forces have failed to dislodge fighters loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr from Iraq's second largest city.
    Zebari also said that the militants were involved in corruption and organised crime.

    "This groups were involved in smuggling oil and organised crimes and infiltration of the government institutions, encouraging corruption on many levels and that' why the government had to take immediate action,"
    Zebari said.
    Oil exports from Basra provide 80 percent of Iraq's government revenue.
    A blast at a pipeline there hurt exports on Thursday (March 27), but they were back to normal on Friday.
    Zebari also added that he thought the reason there was a surge in violence in the last few days was sue to upcoming local elections.
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