Armed vigilantes roam Baghdad streets

Armed vigilantes roam Baghdad streets

In the absence of government or U.S. control, various Iraqi militias operating in Baghdad have taken law enforcement into their own hands.

Armed men totting machine guns and rocket propelled grenades roam the streets amid fears of reprisals from rival sectarian groups.

In the mixed Yarmouk district, armed men keep an eye on strangers and search cars and vehicles.

...

In most areas gunmen and militias are in control and if the government forces or police are present they usually join the militia ranks.

...

“One can say the Iraqi police force is almost non-functional,” one analyst said.

LinkHere