Iraqi ministry fires 3,000 accused of abuses; will change top leaders

Iraq's Shiite-dominated Interior Ministry, whose police forces have been accused of complicity in sectarian attacks, has fired 3,000 employees accused of corruption or rights abuses and will change top commanders, a spokesman said yesterday.

Thousands have died this year in the cycle of killings between Shiite and Sunni death squads. At least 22 were killed yesterday, mainly in sectarian attacks.

Spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said that the Interior Ministry shake-up would ensure action to stop the violence. "We are working on reshuffling the ministry's vital posts like (the leaders of the) police commandos and public order forces, as well as some undersecretaries," he told The Associated Press, without elaborating.

The Shiite-led national police force, controlled by the Interior Ministry, is widely accused of being infiltrated by Shiite militias blamed in killings of Sunni Arabs.

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More than 7,000 security personnel sacked for ‘corruption’

The Ministry of Interior has fired more than 7,000 of its employees for involvement in ‘corruptin....

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