Iraqi security chief forced out

Iraq’s interior minister, in charge of security forces, resigned today at the request of top US administrator Paul Bremer to maintain the Shiite-Sunni balance in the government.

Nuri al-Badran, a Shiite Muslim, noted that the defence minister is also a Shiite and said he wanted to maintain a balance of Iraq’s religious groups on the Cabinet.

He quoted Bremer as telling him, “That will cause an imbalance, and we in the coalition cannot accept that. The solution is for you to step down from your position.”

“I consider myself to have resigned,” al-Badran said