Maliki unveils new Basra plan

BAGHDAD, April 2 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki outlined a seven-point plan for Basra following operations pitting Iraqi security forces against Shiite militias.

Maliki said in a statement Wednesday the security operation in Basra was part of a broader plan to strengthen coordination with Baghdad and initiate long-term reconstruction projects in the area, a statement from his Islamic Dawa Party said.

The plan outlines increased security initiatives, measures taken against the "exploitation of Basra's resources," the restoration of Baghdad's control over seized government buildings and the conversion of former government palaces into places of tourism.

Maliki said in a statement the security situation now in Basra provided "a necessary step" for reconstruction, noting the prior "situation in Basra prevented these things from occurring."

Ali al-Dabbagh, the spokesman for the Iraqi government, said the Maliki government viewed the Basra operation as a "crucial" step toward securing the rule of law, Voices of Iraq said.

Maliki returned to Baghdad Tuesday following nearly a week of confrontation with Shiite militias loyal to Moqtada Sadr, the Badr Organization -- the military wing of cleric Abdul Aziz al-Hakim's Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq -- and other paramilitary units.

Basra, situated in the oil-rich southern region of Iraq, experienced relative calm Wednesday.