BASRA, Iraq — In an interview with Al-Monitor, Basra governor Majid al-Nasrawi confirmed that his city had contracted a British security consulting firm (whose name he would not disclose before the completion of the contract) to oversee Basra's security contracts and provide studies in this regard. Nasrawi noted that corruption is pervasive in all parts of the Iraqi state, which operates according to outdated standards and mechanisms. He confirmed that the US company Hill International had prepared Basra's 2040 Strategic Plan, which would include all of Basra's projects until that date. He revealed what he dubbed the "KMK phenomenon," which involves local companies linked to political parties that operate in the name of foreign companies in the city. Here is the text of the interview:
Al-Monitor: You took office as governor of Basra four months ago. Anyone who returns to Basra after some time away sees it as a "tired" city. How do you see it?