Thursday, April 3, 2008 - 13:00
AFP News Briefs ListIraq's Maliki sees more crackdowns on militants
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Thursday said he expected more crackdowns on militants like one launched in the southern city of Basra last week.
"I expect more crackdowns like this. We do not negotiate with outlaws," Maliki said in a press conference at his office in the heavily fortified Green Zone.
Last week the premier launched military assaults on Shiite fighters, mostly loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, in Basra. The crackdown led to clashes between Sadr's militiamen and Iraqi forces in several areas of Iraq.
More than 460 people were killed, most of them in Basra.
Maliki said his decision to chase the militants was appreciated by other senior Iraqi leaders such as President Jalal Talabani and Massud Barzani, the president of the northern Kurdish region.
"Barzani called me when I was in Basra and said he appreciated our work and even offered to come himself or offer his forces as reinforcements to support our forces," Maliki said.
Maliki's decision was also welcomed by President George W. Bush, who said the violence that was unleashed due to the assault was a "defining moment" in new Iraq.
He further insisted that he did not sign any deal with any militant groups.
"I refuse to negotiate with the outlaws. I did not sign any deal," he stressed.
Last week's fighting receded after Sadr withdrew his fighters from the streets. However, he demanded that security forces should stop random raids and arrests of his loyalists.
On Tuesday, Maliki ordered his forces to stop such arrests although Sadr followers continue to complain about the detentions.
