Vigilanteism in Karbala: Curfew Announced

Basil Abdul Majid reports in az-Zaman that a curfew has been announced in the city as a result of threats against the provincial authorities and police chief. The Phalange Militias of Revolutionary Karbala Youth have threatened to purge the officials, alleging a worsening of administrative corruption and bribe-taking in the province.

The group alleged in a leaflet distributed in the city and faxed to az-Zaman that it was unaffiliated with any party or movement, but simply consisted of Karbala residents who reject tyranny and corruption. Among their main complaints was corruption in the award of contracts to bidders for construction of provincial government buildings.

With so much reconstruction money now sloshing around Iraq, these sorts of conflicts are likely to proliferate.