Baghdad Security Chief: MPs Run Militias

Baghdad provincial security chief Riyadh Abdullah accused Iraqi national assembly members of controlling armed militias or working with them, "in a way so that we can't identify who is responsible, who is guilty and who should be held accountable." In his statement to Asharq al-Awsat, Adbullah said the existence of militias "that are run by parliament members themselves (are like) a mixture of chemicals for us: if they are mixed together in certain quantities, an explosion with dangerous consequences occurs. The current situation is the result of this dangerous mixture." Abdullah also said, "There is a lack of loyalty among some of the security apparatuses' field commanders. They do not work in the interest of the public but in the interest of parties and even individuals. This is the reason behind deteriorating security."