Basra Tribe hands over weapons to Iraqi government

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: The Chieftain of Bani-Malik Tribe in southern Iraq ’s Basra Province has handed over its weapons to the Iraqi government, its Chieftain said on Monday.   “Beni-Malik Tribe, of al-Qurna township, north of Basra city, has handed over its weapons to the State, in order to confirm its pride and to express its conviction that the weapons must be in the hands of the security forces,” Sheikh Salam al-Maliki told IraqiNews.com news agency.   Sheikh Salam said that his tribe took the decision, “in compliance with the withdrawal of the American forces from Iraq , and in order to give the Iraqi security forces the chance to impose the power of law, which is above all.”   “Bani-Malik Tribes have taken this step, because we feel secured, through the power of security forces of both Army and police, to protect the land of Iraq , without the existence of any threat,” he said.   Sheikh Salam also said that “some other tribal chieftains, who attended the celebrations of handing over our weapons to the State, have promised to take a similar step, handing over the weapons of their tribes to the State, stemming from their respect for the law.”   Basra , the center of the province carrying the same name, is 590 km to the south of Baghdad .   SKH (IT)     596