U.S. Troops And The Iraqi Police

Allen Pizzey On The Long, Hard Journey Of Training Iraqis To Police Themselves

(CBS)  By CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey, with photos by CBS News' Mark Laganga.

---

A cornerstone of the new security plan for Baghdad, and for hopes of pulling U.S. troops out of the country, is having Iraqi police and soldiers take over. The problem is that the cement to hold it in place is still being put in place, and there's a long way to go before it hardens.

The police station in the rundown and violence-ridden suburb of Ghazalihyah is a case in point.

Most days of the week, a convoy of Humvees leaves the relative safety of Camp Victory, the sprawling American base at Baghdad International Airport, and makes a perilous half-hour-or-so journey to the police station.

Members of the 410th MPs out of Fort Hood, Tex., take up guard positions at the gate and on the roof, and then try to assemble as many Iraqi police as they can for a training session.

Once they've rounded up enough of them, the first and most important thing is to make the policemen remove the clips from their AK47s and nine millimeter pistols, clear the breach and dry fire to ensure there are no rounds in the guns.

"The last thing we need," a sergeant on his third tour in Iraq says, "is an AD (accidental discharge)." He does not add, but implies, the idea of any one of his students with a loaded gun anywhere near him is almost as scary as driving to the police station.

It would be easier if the same police showed up every day, but continuity is more than the U.S. soldiers can hope for, so many times they have to go back to basics.

They do it by demonstrating a technique, and then having each student try to mimic them. On this particular day, Specialist Matthew Reed, a hulking man made even bigger by the body armour the U.S. troops don't take off (even though their students are wearing only their blue uniforms) is trying to show them how to move forward while covering the area in front of them by waving their AK47 in a box-like motion.

"Elbows in, feet straight ahead, point your body straight so you make a smaller target," he explains over and over again.

Some of the Iraqis get it right. And it has to be said that copying someone like Specialist Reed is harder to do when you are wearing loafers or dress shoes rather than combat boots like his. The U.S. soldiers would very much like to get proper boots for their students, but there is a snag somewhere in the pipeline. There's always a snag of some kind, somewhere, it seems.

That aside, all of the Iraqis appear to take the training seriously. Whether or not all of them are serious in their loyalty to the force and the government is another matter. It's one that worries the trainers, but over which they have no control. In the past some Iraqi police and soldier recruits have turned out to be insurgent sympathizers and even "moles."

Whatever they are, bringing them up to an acceptable standard is a slow process.

"Some of them don't seem to remember it from one day to the next," one of the soldiers said, "but they try, and they're definitely getting better."

Whether they can get good enough to do the job on their own soon enough to satisfy the growing clamour in the U.S. for American troops to leave them to it is another matter.

No one here is in any doubt that deadlines are more hopeful than realistic. A sergeant summed it up this way: "In time I think, hopefully another year or so, these guys will be ready to go and take the streets on their own so we don't have to be here any more."

Until then, the compound is being turned into what under the new security plan for Baghdad is called a "Joint Security Station," a fort where Iraqi and American police and soldiers will live and work together.

An example of how big a challenge that will be is evident in the front windshield of one of the police cars being hosed down in another part of the grounds. It has fourteen bullet holes in it. Not a single police vehicle in the parking lot is unscathed.

But then, one of the Humvees in the convoy that brought the MPs from the 410th to work has been blown up four times.

Risking their life is one thing both trainer and trainee definitely have in common here.

[crater7]

ANOTHER DAY IN IRAQ. FIVE MORE OF OUR KIDS KILLED.

[feelfree1]

It is utter foolishness to think that a brutal and illegal invading force could "train" collaborators to take over "security" in the illegally invaded country, when the invading force has failed so miserably to meet this basic obligation itself.

It is even more ridiculous when we take into account how heavily these puppet collaborator groups have been infiltrated by resistance fighters.

[feelfree1]

It is high time to put an end to this disgrace:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/OutNow

[racam_us]

It is the nature of these people not to be able to govern themselves. No matter how long the US stays and how much they train, it is wasted. I don't understand why people can't recognize this. I actually think they do but they just won't admit that they were wrong. Republicans and Democrats can't accept policy defeats. It is better for young men and women to get killed and wounded each day than to admit WE WERE WRONG.

[feelfree1]

racam_us,

I agree with the bulk of your post, but re:

"It is the nature of these people not to be able to govern themselves."

As compared to the current U.S. beacon of justice and freedom?!

[iceman_1960]

A 3-minute video well worth watching.

Barack Obama on Iraq, Opposition from the Start

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EhpKmQCCwB8

[iceman_1960]

"It is the nature of these people not to be able to govern themselves. No matter how long the US stays and how much they train, it is wasted."

They were doing fairly well in the days of Hammurabi. It's been pretty much messed up in the 4,000 years since then, however.

So we need some benchmarks. Some Bush-like nonbinding benchmarks.

He should tell the Iraqis, look, give it the old Madrassa try, and we'll see how it goes. 2,500 years from now we'll sit down with you all and evaluate your progress, unless the Dems have cut off funding by then...

Something like that.

[iceman_1960]

This report doesn't mention that Iraqi police and other security forces have been charged with operation death squads in the sectarian violence.

Making them better killers might be counterproductive.

[middleman8]

Anyone that sides in with Bush is a traitor
to their own country,Iraq or USA.

[j-whitman]

Training Iraq's police ??? We lost 5 more American troops today --- Who's doing the training ?? Bernie Kerik or Ossama ??

[j-whitman]

Bush,,, Pleasure this

You can't hide your lyin' eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't now way to hide you lyin' eyes

[iceman_1960]

Speaking of music...

According to unconfirmed Internet rumors, Bush is planning to propose replacing the Star Spangled Banner as the National Anthem.

His proposed replacement is Bobby Mcferin's old patriotic song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

"Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy

In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now

Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy

The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy

Don't worry, be happy, Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy, Don't worry, be happy"

[cbville72]

Looks like things are starting to turn around. There are more IRAQI's volunteering and more getting trained. Its ashame you don't hear about it that much on the news. IRAQ will eventually become a strong ally once their govt' gets a stronger foundation under it with their own people. Bush has not swayed under criticism of the democrats who wanted it over with in a few months and once it got tough, threw in the towel. Good Job Mr. President, I and many other red blooded Americans appreciate the good work.

[feelfree1]

Re: "IRAQ will eventually become a strong ally once their govt' gets a stronger foundation under it with their own people."

Wouldn't concrete be a better choice?

[iiffv]

Iceman_1960,,,,Are you quoting Bobby McFerrin from memory? If so, your memory is better than mine!

[frankly6]

Bushism:

"I think%u2014tide turning%u2014see, as I remember%u2014I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of%u2014it's easy to see a tide turn%u2014did I say those words?"%u2014Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

[frankly6]

Bushism:

"No question that the enemy has tried to spread sectarian violence. They use violence as a tool to do that."%u2014Washington, D.C., March 22, 2006

[j-whitman]

cbville72 ,
, Iraq's a total mess, worse now than two years before.

Training Iraq's police ??? We lost 5 more American troops today --- Who's doing the training ?? Bernie Kerik or Ossama ??

[j-whitman]

Bush,,, Pleasure this -- See my finger ??

"You can't hide your lyin' eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't now way to hide you lyin' eyes"

[frankly6]

Bushism:

"It's a time of sorrow and sadness when we lose a loss of life."%u2014Washington, D.C., Dec. 21, 2004

[frankly6]

Bushism:

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."%u2014Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 (Thanks to Alicia Butler.)

[j-whitman]

frankly6

They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people --- Ain't that the truth,, Bush & Gonzales does it to us every day.

[feelfree1]

In the words of a courageous Iraqi woman:

"Let me clear it up for any moron with lingering doubts: It%u2019s worse. It%u2019s over. You lost. You lost the day your tanks rolled into Baghdad to the cheers of your imported, American-trained monkeys. You lost every single family whose home your soldiers violated. You lost every sane, red-blooded Iraqi when the Abu Ghraib pictures came out and verified your atrocities behind prison walls as well as the ones we see in our streets. You lost when you brought murderers, looters, gangsters and militia heads to power and hailed them as Iraq%u2019s first democratic government. You lost when a gruesome execution was dubbed your biggest accomplishment. You lost the respect and reputation you once had. You lost more than 3000 troops. That is what you lost America. I hope the oil, at least, made it worthwhile."

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com

[fredegrar]

Something changed on Friday. Could just be me, but I definitely sensed that the vast majority of the public finally realized that the arguments proffered by the 'bushies' was a load of B*S. All the justifications given by Bush/Cheney/Rove/Lott/etc are just hollow talking points, no longer relevant to any American, let alone the rational ones. We are done. Leave these D*mbA55es to themselves. ItM-FA!!!!

[tbweb]

--feelfree1

The U.S. has not lost anything, the simple truth is all this nonsense is happening in their backyard not in the U.S.! Iran will learn the same ugly truth, when the smoke clears from any potential conflict with Iran, it will be Iran's home, Iranian cities that suffer the most! Iran may have a plan for a big counter attack but it needs to be launched from somewhere and as angry as the U.S. is with Iran there may not be any Iran left to launch a counter attack from! TRUE.

[therose5]

All this childish whining from the far left is the most sickening of all. Did you NOT study ANY history in school. Most of you are not old enough to realize how close we came to being victims of the communist regimes in Europe. Only our strong Christian hearitege and the fervent prayers of God's people kept it from being so.
Our country now suffers from a spiritual famine that is progressively enslaving our great country. Only the extremely naieve, and/or those who hope to gain personally by such chos in America, would constantly bash our President and the government that is trying so hard to save you ignorant children from your own destruction. Stop whining and start praying for your own good.

[llpickett]

My son is on his second tour and my husband and I are both proud of what he is doing. I may not agree with the President, but i have to have faith that he is doing what he thinks is right. I honestly feel that we would have more problems here at home if our loved ones were not over there. I pray each day that God will keep them safe and bring them home. I feel we are doing this for Christianity as much as for freedom.

[bluestardad]

llpickett; DRINK SOME MORE COOLAID LADY! WE ARE IN IRAQ BECAUSE OF ISRAEL! My daughter is going back for her second tour my son has had 2 already in these messed up wars and we are not any safer because of people shooting at them.

The War in Iraq is still not the war on Terror and Iraq still did not attack America on 911! President Bush and the Republicans have failed on their Support for the Troops on all Counts!


If you follow the money trail you will find that most of those elected officials who support the war in Iraq are under the influence of AIPAC.

http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm



Now here is the real kicker! President Bush is funding Al Qaeda in Lebanon with funds from Iraq! This is Impeachment and Treason! Here is the proof Read it!
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070305fa_fact_hersh


If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[e-mail] Here is the Republican Party email address too!

[e-mail] Here is the Democratic Party email address also!

[besscannon-2009]

If Bush would have stayed in Afghanistan like he should have and finished the job instead of going into Iraq where he didn't belong, we would not be in the mess in Iraq we are. Everyone is paying and people are dying for Bush and Cheney's folly. If a president ever needed impeached, Bush sure does. I don't understand why Congress is letting him get away with snubbing his nose at the Constitution.