Mohammed waeli was furious. The powerful governor of Basra had heard that Iraqi Army soldiers were looking to use city bulldozers to clean up the streets of his unruly metropolis. If anyone was going to get credit for improving life in Basra, he was. In a late-night phone call last month, he tore into the top Army commander in Basra, Gen. Mohammed Huweidi. "We want to use [the bulldozers] to serve the city," the general protested. "We're not asking any money for this service." Waeli wasn't mollified. Huweidi's men were interfering and should back off, he warned. "Let me explain," Huweidi said, as the governor continued to berate him. Finally Huweidi relented. "Yes, you're the governor," he said. "I will ask them to pull back."As tough as the fight against jihadists and outlaw militias has been in Iraq, the government's next foe may be equally challenging: itself. Waeli, the general said after hanging up, felt threatened by the Army: "We work seriously here, and this is not always welcome." Their clash is likely to be repeated elsewhere. As the Iraqi Army grows more capable and the central government expands its influence across the country, they're sure to antagonize local players like Waeli who have carved out profitable fiefdoms for themselves. The Basra governor-described as a "mafia don" by one Baghdad official, who asked for anonymity in order to speak more freely-is not the only example.
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