Britain to review Basra policing to weed out militia

LONDON (Reuters) Britain will begin a review of policing in the UK-controlled southern Iraqi city of Basra to weed out militia who have infiltrated the local force, Defence Secretary John Reid said today.

Reid has asked Ronnie Flanagan, a former Northern Ireland chief constable, to assess policing in Basra and report back early next year on how to speed up progress in building an effective, neutral and reliable police force.

''There's a problem with the police in terms of split loyalties running from sympathy for the local people, right through to infiltration with the militia. That's why we are now redoubling our efforts to make sure that these people are rooted out,'' Reid told BBC1's The Politics Show.

Reid said a lot of progress had been made but some of the police were ''rogues'' and ''corrupt''.

...

''We are probably a year behind in terms of progress in policing,'' he said.


(more)

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG4_sub.asp?ccode=ENG4&newscode=125073