Iraqis wanting to contact Najaf's chief of police could be forgiven for not knowing who to call — a new man has been appointed to the job, but the old one refuses to go. A bitter feud over who is in charge of security in the sacred Shiite city highlights the challenges facing the national government, which is struggling to keep its security forces alive, let alone from squabbling with one another.Najaf, relatively peaceful since US forces and Shiite militiamen reached a deal to end fighting there in August, has been billed as a success story. But the men who are meant to be imposing law and order are busy bickering in a country where police cannot afford to let their guard down. Police chief Ghalib Al-Jazairy insists he is still boss even after Baghdad's Interior Ministry appointed Brig. Abdel Shaheed Abdel Razzak to take over the post. To add to the confusion, Jazairy's rage is vented not at Razzak, but at Abdel Aal Al-Koufi, who he believes has been put in charge of overall security in Najaf by his rival, Najaf Governor Adnan Al-Zurfi. "Koufi took control of police stations and he detained four of my relatives who are senior police officers and he released the murderers suspected of killing my two sons," said Jazairy. "He was following the orders of the Najaf governor. He is not a policeman and he has no rank. He is just a supporter of the governor," he told Reuters.
Jazairy's sons, also police officers, were dragged off a bus and shot while protecting pilgrims traveling from Najaf to Kerbala during the Shiite Ashura ritual about 10 days ago. But the US-backed governor has accused Jazairy of stirring up problems. "Jazairy is trying to cause trouble and disobeying a decision of the ministry," said Zurfi.