Middle East Economic Survey

VOL. XLVII

No 33

16-August-2004

IRAQ

'Allawi Determined To Disband Armed Militias As Insurgency Spreads To Iraqs Oil-Rich South

As the second battle in four months takes place in the holy city of Najaf between Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi army militia on the one hand and the Iraqi authorities and US forces on the other, Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi appears determined to disband the armed militias at any cost and no matter how long it might take. In other...