Al Muthanna violence 'escalating'

Last Update: Friday, August 12, 2005. 0:26am (AEST)

A senior Japanese Defence Agency official has expressed concern that recent violent demonstrations in the southern Iraqi city of Samawa, where Australian troops are based, "are escalating".

The capital of Al Muthanna province is under the control of Australian forces, who are providing security to a Japanese humanitarian military contingent.

SDF Joint Staff Council chairman General Hajime Massaki said the demonstrations may affect the activities of Japanese troops there.

"There are signs that the followers of (Shiite cleric) Moqtada al-Sadr are inciting demonstrations,'' Gen Massaki said, acknowledging that Iraqi locals are dissatisfied with electricity shortages and unemployment.

On Sunday, at least one person was killed and about 60 were injured in a clash between demonstrators and police in Samawa.

Earlier this week, Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill said Australian troops are not involved in the violence.

Senator Hill says the Australians are there to guard the Japanese and not to respond to the civil differences.

"It is a worrying development but overall the province of al Muthanna remains one of the most stable within Iraq," he said.

Meanwhile, an early US withdrawal from Iraq is unlikely since the Iraqi military will be unable to lead the fight against insurgents until mid-2006 at the earliest, a top US military official told The Washington Post.

Even if a new Iraqi government is elected on time in December, "the earliest they're going to be capable of running a counterinsurgency campaign is... next summer," said the official who was interviewed on condition he remained anonymous.

-Kyodo/ABC/AFP

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