Training Iraqi police remains hard task
(Iraq)
Updated: 2005-11-30 11:37

In the northern city of Mosul, for example, where police deserted en masse last year, U.S. commanders have laid plans for Iraqi police to retake control in 2006 — but warn that internal divisions could hamper the force.

In the volatile west, considered the gateway for foreign militants into Iraq, U.S. commanders only this summer started deploying Iraqi army battalions. Some of the just-trained Iraqi soldiers, most of them Shiites, find themselves patrolling Iraq's most violent Sunni Arab cities three months after learning how to use weapons.

Both Iraqi army and police forces are involved in fighting the insurgency.

According to an Associated Press tally, at least 1,262 Iraqi soldiers and police have been killed since the interim Iraqi government took power April 28. The Iraqi government figure for deaths from March through October is 1,187.

In comparison, more than 550 coalition troops — mostly Americans — have died in Iraq since April 28.

In Samarra, Lt. Col. Mark Wald of the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment says next week's base handover will double the number of Iraqi Interior Ministry commandos to about 900 and trim the number of U.S. soldiers in the city by about two-thirds, to some 200.

Hundreds more U.S. soldiers will be based on the city outskirts to help if necessary, but Ward says the shift will reduce their exposure to insurgent attacks.

However, some caution that the handover does not necessarily mean fewer U.S. casualties.

In Baghdad, the U.S. command says half the city is currently in the hands of Iraqi forces — but roadside bombs continue to regularly maim and kill American soldiers. Two U.S. soldiers from Task Force Baghdad were killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb.

The Pentagon says Iraqis are taking on a larger role in key spots, and indeed, Iraqis have filled critical positions in some operations.

In a major assault in the violent northern city of Tal Afar in September, Iraqi troops under the command of a handful of U.S. special forces led dangerous raids and kicked down doors.

But while some units have demonstrated their competence, the number of capable Iraqi troops remains relatively few — something that resonates throughout the country.

U.S. military statistics for Samarra, for example, show the fewest monthly attacks have occurred when two or three Interior Ministry battalions were here in the spring. But the number of attacks rebounded when two battalions pulled out.

In addition, the troops' religious or ethnic makeup also is a problem: Disproportionately few Sunni Arabs serve in the military, leaving many Sunni Arabs believing that Shiite and Kurdish troops have come to punish them.

"Many Interior Ministry police who are Shiite don't respect the people," said a teacher in Samarra who wore a traditional Sunni Arab robe and refused to give his name as U.S. soldiers patrolled his neighborhood. "Some Interior Ministry police think that the people of Samarra help the terrorists, and they hate them."

Yet the military points to some signs of hope.

Insurgent attacks in Samarra have dropped by about two-thirds this month to between one to two attacks a day from a high of over seven a day in January. Commanders say that is partly a result of searches of every home and better military tactics, such as more hidden observation posts.

But some soldiers attribute the decline in attacks to a clan feud, which led to violence between the groups instead of U.S. troops.

And some remain deeply skeptical about the potential of the police, who now conduct few patrols. When told about the Interior Ministry's plans to hand the city over to local police in the summer, one American soldier burst into laughter while another slowly shook his head.

An Interior Ministry colonel, who identified himself only as a member of the Jabouri tribe for fear of insurgent reprisal, described the local police force as "very bad."

Other soldiers, who were involved with previous handovers of Tal Afar, Mosul and Husaybah that also collapsed, warned that a premature transfer of power could set the ground for failure.

"I don't think they're ready or want to take over," said Staff Sgt. Richard Bogle of Midway, Ga., who heads an emergency response center in the city.

U.S. officials say they are better prepared this time. They point to the paramilitary commandos, generally acknowledged to be a capable force that could serve as a backstop if insurgent attacks spike.

"I'm not worried," said Wald, the battalion commander. "The training of the Iraqi police force will continue ... and as the situation and Iraqi forces improve, I see less of a U.S. presence in Samarra."