Baghdad Security Measures a Step in the Right Direction

The state minister for national security, Shirwan al-Waili, has said the new security plans for Baghdad are a step in the right direction, adding that the scheme held out promise that the government could regain control of security in the rest of the country. He said the measures should extend to as many neighbourhoods as possible. Entrances and exits to the capital linking it to nearby provinces regarded as a source of insurgent attacks will be cordoned off and controls established. Future security plans will not be revealed, so that enemy forces are taken by surprise and prevented from taking steps in response, the minister said.