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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's interim government
said on Thursday it was extending emergency powers
equivalent to martial law for a further 30 days to
crack down on insurgents.
The state of emergency, first imposed in November
ahead of a major U.S. assault on the rebel
stronghold of Falluja west of Baghdad, would stay in
effect into March 31, said a government statement.
Emergency powers allow the government to impose
curfews, close borders and airports and detain
suspects without following normal legal procedures.
The emergency applies to all regions of Iraq except
the Kurdish north, which has been relatively stable.
The Iraqi government is struggling to combat a
guerrilla campaign of suicide and car bombings,
shootings and kidnappings.
Reuters
Iraq extends emergency laws by 30 days
IRAQ has extended the state of emergency for another
30 days from February 28, giving the Government the
right to impose curfews and restrict movement around
the country.
"Due to the persistent circumstances that led us to
implement the state of emergency, we have decided to
extend it all over Iraq except for the Kurdistan
region for another 30 days," the statement signed by
outgoing Prime Minister Iyad Allawi dated Monday
said.
The law was been extended twice previously, with the
last extension coinciding with the elections on
January 30.
The emergency law was first signed on November 7 for
60 days on the eve of the US assault on the former
Sunni Muslim rebel-stronghold of Fallujah.
The law gives the Prime Minister the authority to
impose curfews, restrict travel between cities and
set up around-the-clock courts where the Government
can go to obtain arrest warrants.
The country has seen in recent days a spike in
suicide car bombings with a devastating attack in
the central town of Hilla on Monday claiming the
lives of 118 people and wounding scores.
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