Iraqi city to get 300 cameras
2008-08-18 20:22
Najaf - Iraq is to install 300 closed-circuit television cameras in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, as it seeks to adopt a less intrusive security stance in the pilgrimage centre, a provincial official said on Monday.
"Iraqi forces will start implementing a new Najaf security plan from tomorrow (Tuesday), including notably the installation of 300 surveillance cameras on the main thoroughfares, public squares and gathering points," provincial official Ahmed Dwaibel told AFP.
He said the authorities were hoping the cameras would allow the removal of the concrete barriers that currently criss-cross the historic shrine city and the progressive reduction of the 60 or so checkpoints that impose a major restriction on movement.
"Nearly 4 000 plainclothes police and secret service agents will be deployed to gather intelligence.
"Our plan puts the accent on quality rather than quantity," Dwaibel said.
The base for Iraq's Shi'ite spiritual leadership, Najaf has been a repeated target for bombing by Sunni Arab insurgents since the US-led invasion of 2003.
The central city attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world for the major Shi'ite festivals.