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Arab, Kurd gunmen clash in North-Eastern
Iraq
25.9.2006 |
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Jalawla,
September 25, -- Kurdish and Arab rivals were
fighting for control of a police station in a
northern Iraq Kurdish town today, police sources
said.
"Kurdish militia gunmen attacked an (Iraqi) police
station, protesting over Iraqi Interior Ministry's
decision to replace Jalawla police chief with an
Arab officer," said an Iraqi police source, noting
that Kurdish gunmen burned three police cars.
A Kurdish officer said that the new Arab officer
came to the town with 30 gunmen to assume his
responsibilities as police chief, which lead to the
clash.
The incident, typical in towns throughout Iraq,
demonstrates the difficulties the U.S.-backed
government is having in setting up a single police
force loyal to the state.
U.S. and Iraqi officials say local police forces are
often loyal to ethnic and sectarian militias, and
trying to ensure they report to the central
authorities is one of the biggest problems facing
the state.
The provincial police chief ordered forces across
the ethnically mixed province to stop using their
radios and mobile phones and use only landline
telephones to guard against eavesdropping.
Provincial police officials said they were
considering storming the station.
Reuters | KUNA
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