By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said Saturday Shiite militants in southern Iraq were worse than Al-Qaeda organization, a remark showing his determination to crack down on outlawed militias in Basra coupled with Maliki’s calls on tribes to join the fight.
Al-Maliki, a Shiite himself, was speaking in a meeting with tribal leaders in Basra who voiced full support for the Prime Minister in his endeavor to impose order in the southern city.
“We were fighting Al-Qaeda but now discovered that there are those between us who are worse than Al-Qaeda, because we see them in Basra attacking government institutions, bridges, oil pipelines and security forces,” Al-Maliki told the tribal leaders.
Both Al-Qaeda and the militants in Basra want to abort the political process in Iraq and sabotage government institutions, said Al-Maliki who was making the first comparison between Al-Qaeda and the militants in the southern city.
The Prime Minister said there were internal political will standing behind these groups and seeking to undermine the political process in Iraq.
Al-Maliki, meanwhile, gave instructions to appoint around 1,500 volunteers from different tribes to join the fight against the militants in Basra.
Major-General Abdulrakeem Khalaf, commander of the National Command Center, praised the support of the Iraqi tribes in Basra.
Speaking to reporters, Khalaf said operations against the militias were ongoing in Basra, noting that Iraqi forces have killed and captured scores of militants.
Khalaf said the Iraqi forces were hunting down the militants and were enjoying full support from locals.