Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned on Thursday that rogue elements in Iraqi militias will face justice if they break the law, despite earlier helping the government tame a deadly insurgency.
In his first remarks on deadly fighting in the Iraqi capital that saw a Sahwa "Awakening" leader arrested at the weekend, the premier insisted the former rebels-turned-government-fighters had no immunity.
This is a message sent to the people taking the same path as organised criminals. No one should think that the state is not aware of their contacts," Maliki told state-run Al-Iraqiya television.
"Everything is under control and being monitored. The day will come where everyone will have to face justice," he said in an excerpt from an interview to be broadcast on Friday.
The prime minister's comments came after Saturday's arrest of Adel Mashhadani, an anti-Qaida militia leader, on suspicion of murder and extortion.