Gunmen shot and killed a judge specialising in drug-related cases on Saturday, in the southern province of Maysan. Officials say the province, which borders Iran, has become a focal point for drug trafficking.
Judge Ahmed Faisal Khasaf was driving home in his car in the provincial capital of Amara when assailants blocked his route and sprayed his vehicle with bullets, AFP reported, citing a police officer and a forensic official.
A cowardly and terrorist act that was carried out by criminal gangs
Iraqi Judge,
Faiq Zaidan
Mr Khasaf was shot 15 times with a Kalashnikov and died on the spot after suffering gunshot wounds to the head and chest, they said.
The identity of the killers remains unknown. Judicial authorities have launched an investigation.
The Head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faiq Zaidan, decried the assassination as a “cowardly and terrorist act that was carried out by criminal gangs”.
Mr Zaidan described the judge as “brave and competent in facing the outlaw gangs”.
In September, another anti-drug judge escaped an assassination attempt in the same province, AFP said.
Drug trafficking and abuse have been growing rapidly in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
Since then, the country has been transformed from being a corridor for smuggling drugs to neighbouring countries, to a place where consumption is hitting unprecedented levels.
Security and health officials blame what they describe as successive weak governments, as well as widespread corruption among security forces, porous borders and a lack of co-operation between government agencies as the main reasons behind the rise.
A growing sense of lawlessness has also been apparent in Maysan province.
It is not only at the heart of the country’s thriving drug scene, but has also witnessed a rise in bloody tribal disputes, where confrontations can last for days with security forces unable to prevent the violence.
In a recent dispute between two major tribes, Katyusha rockets were used, security and local officials said, injuring an unconfirmed number of people.
Judge Zaidan held the security forces in the province accountable for their “clear shortcoming in doing their duties”.
Initial reports, he said, indicated a “wilful negligence for not taking the necessary measures to ensure security in the province”.
The assassination came days after the murder of an Interior Ministry officer in Maysan and the killing of an Interior Ministry colonel during a raid to hunt down a drug dealer in the southern Diwaniyah province.
In a statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi dispatched a high-ranking security committee headed by the Interior Minister to the province to investigate the latest killings and evaluate the security situation.
Mr Al Kadhimi described the assassinations as "organised criminal acts" and vowed that the government "will not stay motionless about these heinous crimes that threaten peace and stability".
"Our security forces will spare no effort to enforce law and to bring criminals to justice," he added.
At the slain judge's funeral, his coffin was wrapped in the Iraqi flag with a bouquet of flowers during a procession on Sunday morning. Dozens of sobbing mourners walked behind the pick-up truck carrying his casket.
"The province is uncontrollable," a man identified himself as Mr Kasaf's brother said in a video clip uploaded to social media, while tightly holding a sobbing woman.
"The government can't protect itself, there are a lot of rifles around," he added.
Security and health officials have been warning that violence linked to drug dealing is spiralling out of control, while authorities are under-resourced to deal with the problem.
Crystal meth, a synthetic drug — produced using man-made chemicals as opposed to plants — is widely used in Iraq. It comprises about 60 per cent of the country’s drug trade, the government says. The second most popular drug is Captagon, having overtaken tramadol, heroin and hashish in terms of use.
Interior Ministry figures show that authorities seized about 420 kilograms of crystal meth and 50 to 60 million Captagon tablets in the first half of last year. That was more than 20 times the amount seized in the previous two years combined.
Security forces have intensified efforts to crack down on the trade, often announcing drug seizures and the arrest of traffickers on a daily basis.
More on animal trafficking
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Company%20profile%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYodawy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarim%20Khashaba%2C%20Sherief%20El-Feky%20and%20Yasser%20AbdelGawad%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2424.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlgebra%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20MEVP%20and%20Delivery%20Hero%20Ventures%2C%20among%20others%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
RESULTS
2.30pm Jaguar I-Pace – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt)
1,600m
Winner Namrood, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
(trainer)
3.05pm Land Rover Defender – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
1,400m
Winner Shadzadi, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm Jaguar F-Type – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Tahdeed, Fernando Jara, Nicholas Bachalard
4.15pm New Range Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
4.50pm Land Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Autumn Pride, Bernardo Pinheiro, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm Al Tayer Motor – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 T) 1,000m
Winner Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm Jaguar F-Pace SVR – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Scabbard, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
RESULTS
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Rajeh, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi (trainer)
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes – Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Get Back Goldie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Sovereign Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Hot Rod Charlie, William Buick, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Withering, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Creative Flair, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
