Iraq to take control of Babil from US troops: officials

By Emmanuel Ducq AFP - Sunday, September 28 10:21 am

HILLA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraqi security forces will take control of the central Shiite province of Babil within a month, the provincial governor told AFP on Sunday, but warned that armed groups still roam the region.

Salem al-Saleh Meslmawe said security control of Babil, south of Baghdad, would be transferred from mid to late October, making it the 12th of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed over by the US-led forces.

"We have discussed with the government and the coalition forces and there is an agreement to transfer security. This will be done within a month," Meslmawe said.

"Security (in Babil) is very good and Iraqi security forces can control it."

The US military had a sprawling base in the historic town of Babylon, just north of Hilla. According to UNESCO, archaeological treasures there suffered serious damage when US forces established the base in 2003.

The decision to transfer security responsibility from the Americans was also confirmed by provincial police chief Fadhel Radad. But he also said local forces still needed logistical support.

Former US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, told AFP earlier this month that the Americans planned to transfer security in Babil and the nearby province of Wasit to the Iraqis before the end of the year.

On September 10, Iraqi Defence Minister Abdel Qader Jassem Mohammed said Baghdad would soon assume security control of two more provinces.

"Iraq will take over security files of two provinces, Babylon and Wasit. The handover will be very soon," he said,

Following the transfer in Babil, American troops would withdraw to their bases and join military operations only if asked by the governor.

On September 1, the Iraqis took control of the western Sunni province of Al-Anbar, once the deadliest region in the violence-wracked country.

Iraqi forces currently manage security in 11 provinces.

Apart from Babil and Wasit, the other five provinces still under the control of US forces are Baghdad, Diyala, oil-rich Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Saleheddin.

Like many other Iraqi provinces, Babil was torn by violence after the US invasion in March 2003, largely between Shiite militias and American forces.

But the region also saw regular attacks by Sunni insurgents and Al-Qaeda jihadists, targeting Shiite pilgrims heading for the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf.

"But the situation has stabilised in the last six or seven months as most of the rebels, tired of Al-Qaeda's brutal attacks, have rallied with the US," Meslmawe said in his highly fortified home at Hilla, the provincial capital.

"Today, everything is fine. There is no more violence."

Around 100,000 Sunni Arabs, mostly former insurgents, have since late 2006 sided with the US forces to fight Al-Qaeda, helping to curb the brutal violence that has ravaged the country.

Police chief Radad said the number of attacks in Babil fell 70 percent in the first eight months of 2008 compared with the same period last year.

"We have two or three incidents per month, mainly road (side) bombs or bombs planted on vehicles," he said.

The deadliest attacks, however, have been made using so-called explosively formed penetrators or EFPs -- fist-sized bombs that punch through heavy armour.

The US military accuses Iranian-linked "Shiite Special Groups" of supplying these devices. Tehran denies the charge.

"These groups have suffered in recent months, but some are still there although they have restrained their activities," the governor said. "Many had fled to Iran. But they will return."

Radad said the police believed these special groups are returning.

"Indications are that the special groups are returning from Iran after receiving training and equipment," he said.

He said despite the overall stability, the coming months were expected to be tense, especially ahead of the provincial elections scheduled to be held before January 31.

"As elections approach, there will be bombings or terrorist attacks. But Iraqi forces are ready to face them," Radad said.

"In case of difficulty, we will certainly call US forces. But we will not need them if everything goes well."

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