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Iraqi Police taking lead in many ways
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A spate of recent news articles demonstrate that the Iraqi Police are finally stepping up to the plate. The rebuilding of law enforcement in Iraq was one of the most important objectives outlined by the Bush Administration in the early days of the war. That step would turn out to be one of the most difficult challenges of the rebuilding and reconciliation efforts in Iraq.
Throughout the reconstruction effort the US military has been far more successful in retraining and standing up the Iraqi military to defend the fledgling democratic government. Although that effort took much longer than most envisioned it was gradually succeeding while the effort to rebuild Iraqi law enforcement was flailing. The development of the Iraqi Police force was an unmitigated disaster for many years. But they are finally catching up.
Centcom is reporting that the Iraqi Police are now the front line defense in Baghdad. The article reveals that:
BAGHDAD (Sept. 14, 2008) — A large Iraqi security force convoy, which included several Iraqi Army Humvees, exited the international zone in Baghdad at midday, Sept. 10, 2008. At the front and back of the convoy was an Iraqi Police patrol vehicle providing escort security for the convoy.
“That says something in itself,” said Capt. Nathan Brookshire, a Military Police commander, while viewing the long line of Humvees exiting the international zone. “Iraqi Police pulling security for an Iraqi Army convoy, you don’t see that every day.”
At least you don’t in Baghdad, where until recent months the local populace security was provided by the Iraqi Army.
Now Iraqi Police are continuing the transition of becoming the primary ISF in Baghdad by taking over at checkpoints to provide the first line of security for the citizens here.
In recent months the process of turning all Iraqi Army manned checkpoints over to the IP has been very successful.The Salhiya District is the first of the Baghdad districts to have all of its checkpoints turned over to IP control.
The LAT Times blog also features an article about the graduation of 21 Iraqi Police Officers in a first for Iraq – they are women:
In the five years since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, women have faced particular struggles. Security concerns have led many families to keep girls out of school; violence targeting mainly men has left hundreds of thousands of women widowed and struggling to make ends meet; religious conservatism has made it more difficult for women to hold jobs outside the home, particularly in male-dominated fields such as police work.
But women who aspire to be cops are finally getting their chance, due in large part to the unfortunate spike in females being used to carry out bombings. Recognizing a need for women to frisk other women, whom male police will not touch, the Ministry of Interior appears to be relaxing what had been opposition to the idea of females carrying weapons and working in dangerous environments.
On Wednesday, the first 21 women to graduate from police training in Diyala province got their certificates, along with hundreds of men who joined them in celebration. The event comes just in time.
Iraqi officials say Diyala, long a stronghold of Sunni Muslim insurgents, should soon be under full control of Iraqi police and military. With fewer U.S. forces out front, it's more important than ever that Iraqi security forces beef up their numbers and have women available to search women, whose traditional flowing abayas make it easier for them to hide explosive belts or vests. Currently, U.S. forces are in charge of security in Diyala, but like other Iraqi provinces, this must change. So far, security for 11 of the country's 18 provinces has been handed to Iraqis.
An Associated Press article which covered the female police academy includes some interesting quotes from the women recruits:
"I must support my daughter, because I don't have anyone to take care of us," Abdalla said. "But I want to also prove that we have the right, as women in the society, to work as policewomen."
…
"We have joined the police so that we can defend our country, Iraq. And we've joined because we see so many female suicide bombers sneaking through checkpoints without being searched. We come to help our colleagues, policemen," said Asraa Jumaa Yaseen, 28-year-old mother of five.
…
"I felt like the practice was real — like I was part of the war — and I was protecting my country from terrorists," Wafaa Najah Abdalla said after her first target practice with live ammunition.
It’s clear that as the Iraqis take more and more responsibility the US military is able to reduce forces in theater. If the gains continue our soldiers will leave a legacy of law enforcement that will be the lead in providing internal security and maybe even bring about social reforms that are essential to a fair and equitable democracy.
On a side note, I find it more than a little ironic that while an armed woman in Iraq is hailed as an indication of progressive policies in our own country a woman, Governor Sarah Palin who hunts is characterized by the media as a “gun totting” hick.
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