Basra to Get Baghdad-Style Security Plan

British defence secretary Des Browne who arrived unexpectedly in Baghdad late on June 19 said he would be talking to the Iraqi government about a long-term security plan for Basra similar to that already introduced in Baghdad. At a press conference with President Jalal Talabani, he said he was willing to meet the Iraqi interior minister and prime minister to negotiate the plan, which would include reforms to the police in the south. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki earlier announced a one-month state of emergency in Basra following unrest that coincided with the killing there of Sheikh Yousi al-Hassan, a member of the Muslims Clerics’ Association.