ASIA/IRAQ – IN ADDITION TO BOMB BLASTS: THE GHOST OF ORGANISED CRIME IS BACK IN IRAQ

Baghdad (Fides Service) - “Not only suicide bombings like yesterday’s attack are the cause of instability in Iraq ” a local Church source in Baghdad told Fides with regard to the latest bomb blast yesterday Sunday 18 January in front of the US led Coalition head quarters, in which at least 25 persons were killed, “in fact the people are still suffering the effects of a scarcity of fuel. Families have no means of keeping warm, and the price of a full fuel tank is prohibitive: the price of fuel ( if you can find it ) has risen from 1 Euro a litre to 12 Euro in a few months .”
“In this situation of insecurity Church activity is also difficult” the sources say. “Parishes and bishops’ houses have to pay private guards to prevent sacking and looting. In addition there is the expense of oil for generators because many parts of the country are still without regular electricity supplies”.
To make things worse organised crime is back in Iraq with gangs specialised in kidnappings. Fides sources say: “in recent months a number of doctors, layers, businessmen were taken hostage. Their families had to pay large sums for their release. But sad to say not all have returned home. Vast areas of Iraq could become fertile land for domestic rime and also for international criminality ”. (L.M.) (Fides Service 19/1/2004, lines 25 words 279)