Word: basra
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Iraqi military and police commanders in the southern border provinces of Maysan and Basra, where Al-Faw is located, admit as much, though they say the government's military campaigns in the past three months have dramatically reduced the flow of illegal goods which, in addition to weapons, they say includes drugs, diesel fuel and wanted persons...
...year ago, Al-Faw and the nearby, larger city of Basra were major hubs for Shi'ite militia smuggling rings and a dangerous no-go zone for most Westerners and wealthy Iraqis. Kidnappings were rampant, and many local authorities were either complicit in the activities or too afraid to act. "Previously, yes, the army was present here," says Basra military commander General Mohammed Jawad Huwaidi. "But the outlaws and bandits were working under the names of parties. So we needed the political will to start the operation." One top Iraqi commander, who only agreed to speak anonymously, says the local...
...country. Those actions have dispelled sentiments shared by many Iraqis that his administration is weak. "[Maliki] is very strong. He made a decision to bring back security for us, and it was a good decision," says Ahmed Talib, a boat operator in the predominantly Shi'ite city of Basra in southern Iraq. "Now I think most people support Maliki." Even al-Maliki's rivals among the Sadrists praised his latest suggestion of a timetable. "Maliki's announcement reached me yesterday. It was a good announcement, and we salute him," the head of the Sadrist political office, Lewa Smiesem, told TIME...
Indeed, despite a low profile, Harbia says the support provided by the U.S. forces has been a key component in Amara's success. And having learned their lesson from Basra and Sadr City, Harbia says, the Mahdi Army is now on the run, and Iraqi forces are using the campaign to pave the way for smoother provincial elections in October - or as members of the Sadrist movement allege, to weaken support for Sadrist-allied candidates ahead of the elections...
...operation was to create the atmosphere for proper provincial elections. One of the goals is to make the election go smoothly," says Harbia. "Now with the outstanding position of al-Maliki in Basra, Amara, Mosul and Sadr City, people are looking to him as an honest and nationalist man." And are Maliki's rivals in the Mahdi Army weaker now than they were a month ago? "This is for certain," Harbia says. "They are outside...