Maliki: Inside 'militia' causing problems

BAGHDAD, June 16 (UPI) -- The recent killings of government security officials were carried out by a "militia" inside the Interior Ministry, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.

Maliki said a "militia" of more than 400 men was set up inside the Interior Ministry, answerable only to an outside political official he didn't name, McClatchy Newspapers reported Thursday.

The Iraqi prime minister said "investigations, investigating committees and confessions" indicated the recent assassinations were conducted using "government weapons, government cars and government IDs."

"It's one thing to face an enemy that doesn't have real capabilities," Maliki said. "But if the enemy is within your lines, and doesn't believe in the political process, the enemy will take benefit from government facilities to carry out these actions."

Maliki didn't provide any names, but he pledged to launch a complete investigation of the Interior Ministry after al-Qaida in Iraq terrorism suspects attempted to break out of jail at the main Interior Ministry compound in downtown Baghdad last month.