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Baghdad seeks to assuage IOC security worries

Iraq's interior minister toured southern Iraq to promote a security plan and allay concerns over recent violence and the government's increasing dependence on militias.
Interior Minister Mohammed Ghabban (center) looks on as the head of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, explains the plan for the assault on Tikrit on March 6, 2015. (THAIER AL-SUDANI/Reuters)

BASRA - Minister of Interior Mohammed Ghabban is seeking to reassure foreign oil companies they will be kept safe as they lead Iraq to record oil production, even though the government is relying increasingly on Shia militias to provide security.

"The Interior Ministry is making all efforts to enhance security in the province of Basra because of its importance with foreign investment companies operating on its soil, which are betting on the restoration of safety there," Ghabban said during an April 9 press conference in Basra.

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