Iraqi PM condemns 'illegal' raid
Nothing exposes the myth of the new democratic Iraq more than when the new Iraqi Prime Minister condemns the actions of the Iraqi armed forces for taking part in operations that he was blatantly unable to prevent.
And yet this is exactly what has happened. Nouri Maliki, Iraq's Prime Minister, has condemned a raid by Iraqi and British forces on an intelligence agency detention centre in Basra as an "illegal and irresponsible act". The British, in turn, have claimed that some of the men they found at the detention centre showed evidence of having been tortured.
"The prime minister has ordered a prompt investigation into the incident of breaking into the security complex headquarters in Basra," a statement released by Mr Maliki's office said.
The British military responded with a statement saying the National Iraqi Intelligence Agency headquarters was not deliberately targeted and was only entered because of information gained in preceding raids."During the operation, Iraqi forces discovered around 30 prisoners, including a woman and two children, who were being held, and many of whom showed signs of torture and abuse," the statement said.
So, let me see if I've got this right. In this newly democratised Iraq, the Iraqi Prime Minister has no control over the Iraqi armed forces? How long are they going to continue this pretence that Maliki is actually in power when he can't prevent his own armed forces from raiding his own intelligence units?
I also note that Maliki had very little to say about the allegations of torture at this facility, choosing instead to concentrate on the legality of the raid.
However, the real point of this story is that there appears to be no co-operation between the Iraqi Prime Minister and the occupying forces.
The raids came as the Iraqi prime minister said he was offering an olive branch to insurgents who accepted the language of reconciliation and dialogue.
Those who did not would fall foul of a security crackdown which would "cover every inch of Iraq", he said.
He did not specify whether insurgents who stopped fighting would be given an amnesty.
Mr Maliki has said he will reshuffle his cabinet within the next two weeks.
No details have been given, but reports quote unnamed officials as saying he is expected to dismiss all six ministers loyal to the Shia cleric, Moqtada Sadr, who has been criticised by the United States.
So Maliki will fire cabinet ministers that the US disapprove of while the British order his forces to invade his intelligence units against his will.
And we are asked to believe that Maliki is running Iraq? It's simply an insult to one's intelligence.
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