Iraqi Policewomen Ordered To Turn In Guns

The Skinny: Iraqi Official Tells A U.S. General That Men Will Protect Them

(CBS)  The Skinny is Keach Hagey's take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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Just in case there's anyone out there still unsure about the whether nation-building is a bad idea, the Los Angeles Times brings a gem of a story about how you can lead an Iraqi horse to the water of equal-opportunity employment, but you just can't make him drink. Not even when your country is paying the water bill.

The Iraqi government has ordered all policewomen to hand in their guns for redistribution to men or face having their pay withheld, the Times reports. The move thwarts a U.S. initiative to bring women into the nation's police force.

The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, issued the order late last month, according to ministry documents, U.S. officials and several of the women. Probably sensing this was going to tick off the Americans, ministry officials refused to pick up the phone or return messages when Times reporter Tina Susman called asking for an explanation.

Critics say the move is the latest sign of the religious and cultural conservatism that has taken hold in Iraq since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein ushered in a government dominated by Shiite Muslims. Other recent signs include a dozen women killed by religious militants in Basra for not covering their hair or dressing modestly. In Baghdad, once a secular metropolis, it is rare to see women without scarves covering their hair.

U.S. trainers began recruiting women in early 2004 and were so swamped with applicants they had to turn many away. By the end of that year, about 1,000 women had graduated. Since U.S. authorities handed over responsibility for police recruitment and training to Iraqi authorities in February 2006, the number of female recruits has dropped to virtually zero.

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Phillips, who has led the effort to recruit female officers, said an official in the Interior Ministry told him: "Females are taken care of by men in our country. They are not out there being police officers."

Huckabee Takes Heat For Cuba Flip-Flop

Even in his weaker moments, it's easy to see why Mike Huckabee seems to have the word "likable" tattooed across his dimpled face.

Yesterday, after getting called out in the last few days for radically changing his stance on the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba in an bald attempt to suck up to Florida primary voters, the Los Angeles Times reports, he stood before a crowd at a Cuban restaurant in Miami and basically admitted as much with startlingly little embarrassment.

"Rather than seeing it as some huge change, I would call it, rather, the simple reality that I'm running for president of the United States, not for re-election as governor of Arkansas," he said. "I've got to look at this as an issue that touches the whole country."

Of course, cornered men are often candid. In 2002, while Arkansas governor, he wrote a letter to President Bush saying the embargo was bad for his state's rice growers.

Now that he's staring down Florida's crucial Jan. 29 Republican primary (in which Cuban exiles make up 10 percent of the voters) he's had a drastic change of heart. He has vowed to come down even harder than Bush on Fidel Castro's regime and pledged to veto any effort to end the sanctions.

His far-less-likeable rival, Fred Thompson, still pouting because Huckabee was stealing the social conservative votes he had been banking on, gave reporters quotes from Huckabee's 2002 letter before the GOP debate on Spanish-language network Univision.

Yet somehow, Huckabee managed to turn the flip-flop into a comfy pair of beach sandals - the kind that Florida primary voters might themselves wearing.

"I really wasn't aware of a lot of the issues that exist between Cuba and the United States," Huckabee said, adding that his flexibility on policy should be viewed as a good thing. "I'll be the first to tell you I'm always subject - and I hope we all area - to learning, to growing, and never being so stubborn and maybe bull-headed."

Waterboarding Is Torture, Says Ex-CIA Officer

The furor of the missing CIA interrogation videos has brought one former spook out of the shadows to set the record straight: The waterboarding of the al Qaeda terrorist suspect he helped interrogate "probably saved lives," he told the Washington Post, but he now regards the tactic as torture.

That seems like a logical conclusion if the story he tells is true. John Kiriakou served as a CIA interrogator in Pakistan and participated in the capture and questioning of Zayn Abidin Muhammed Huseein abu Zubaida, the first high-ranking al Qaeda member captured after Sept. 11, 2001.

Abu Zubaida, we can assume from his bio, was one bad dude. But he broke in just 35 seconds after interrogators strapped him to a board, wrapped his nose and mouth in cellophane and forced water into his throat in a technique that simulates drowning.

After initially being ideologically zealous, defiant and uncooperative, he told interrogators he'd tell them whatever they wanted.

Which, of course, was the problem. In documents prepared for a military hearing at Guantanamo Bay, where he is still held, Abu Zubaida asserted that he was tortured by the CIA, and that he told his questioner what they wanted to hear to make the torture stop.

Kiriakou says that Abu Zubaida's information averted further attacks, but the added that "Americans are better than that." The CIA has generally supported such coercive techniques as necessary, while the FBI has opposed them as counterproductive and unreliable.

Kiriakou's remarks came a day before top CIA officials are to appear before a closed congressional hearing to account for the decision to destroy recordings of the interrogations of Abu Zubaida and another senior captive.

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[allunknowing]

They should just wear ninja masks.

I think Iraq is about 20 years behind the rest of the developed world.

Good luck with that.

[andrew_693]

So much for spreading democracy around the world. This is an example of how your tax payers money is being wasted. Creating inequality.

[andrew_693]

So much for spreading democracy around the world. This is an example of how your tax payers money is being wasted. Creating inequality.

[mudrose-2009]

So much for spreading democracy around the world. This is an example of how your tax payers money is being wasted. Creating inequality.

Posted by andrew_693

I guess I should have my tax payer money utilized to fly Al Bore to parts unknown preaching his gospel of global warming so he can add more money onto the $100 billion he now has. I suppose I should have my tax payer money given to the SCHIPP children while the Dimnowits expand the program to include families with incomes of $70,000 and over. I suppose I should use my taxpayer money for a Woodstock Museum or how about the Bridge to Nowhere up thar in Alaska. Burkas for guns. What else is new. Get a life.

Hahahhahaha!! Oh my stars and garters! Oh my sainted hat! Fret not dear ladies, we will protect you. There''s no need to fear, Iraqi man is here. And you know how much we and Allah love you.

[displeased]

===I think Iraq is about 20 years behind the rest of the developed world===

More like 200 years.
Posted by rafterman1

They''re 200 years behind and they''re going in the wrong direction. When are we going to learn that we can''t force democracy on countries that either don''t want it or aren''t capable of employing it, as with most of the Middle East.

[missingamerica]

Hilarious.

Goes to show you that just because you (Cheney and Bush) are people who will do anything if the right amount of money is on the table, that doesn''t mean you can assume everybody else will do your will if you put the right amount of money on the table.

(Yeah, I know that is a "duh" statement to people with common sense and a basic sense of morality, but we''re talking about Bush, Cheney, and the neocons here.)

[runningralph]

Whether or not there are armed women cops is not the crucial issue in Iraq. Fighting insurgents is the main problem. If they feel they can do it better with armed men instead of women then that''s the way they should do it. Just get it done. Let the women have desk jobs, and be meter maids.

[hillaryin08]

If they want to take away their guns we should get Bill Clinton over there. Wait a minute, it didnt work here either....

Nevermind

[indivthinker]

===I think Iraq is about 20 years behind the rest of the developed world===

More like 200 years.
Posted by rafterman1

They''''re 200 years behind and they''''re going in the wrong direction. When are we going to learn that we can''''t force democracy on countries that either don''''t want it or aren''''t capable of employing it, as with most of the Middle East.

Posted by Displeased


That''s funny how you say a nation that is 200 years behind the rest of the world can''t have a democracy. I believe that Greece''s democracy is 2000+ years old. I believe that the United States'' democracy is 231 years old (from the Declaration of Independence in 1776) or 220 years (from the creation of the Constitution).

Democracy is not the problem in the Middle East. We saw millions going to vote in Iraq and Afghanistan, a clear sign that the people want it. Unfortunately, the problem is prejudice and hate, which, when accompanied with democracy, leads to total division.

Take for instance the animosity in the United States. So much hate over politics and religion that we as a nation have been divided. Now imagine we are blood enemies (like the Shiites and Sunnis), and multiply that animosity times a hundred. That is Iraq.

[abdoul_pasha]

Stop watching all the time what "masks" the women wear. It`s personal choice and they will wear niqab if they want, you can`t force them put it off in the name of "democracy"

RUNNINGRALPH will protect you! Why would you need to protect ourselves just because you are in danger? Its not like Iraqi (or american) men are hateful or cowardly enough to harm you (before any american men start crying check out the haliburton gang rape coverup).

Metermaid or no, do not leave your safety to males.

[sandy777-2009]

Now we are seeing Iraq''s true colors. Just take away our taxpayers dollars from Iraq and watch Iraq turn muslim and not Democratic. Iraq only wants U. S. taxpayer dollars to fuel their prehistoric muslim culture and their murderous muslim killers. I feel so sorry for muslim women, as they are treated horribly by their idiotic muslim men.

[abdoul_pasha]

They are treated very well!

[rudy654-2009]

Stop watching all the time what "masks" the women wear. It`s personal choice and they will wear niqab if they want, you can`t force them put it off in the name of "democracy" Posted by Abdoul_Pasha at 11:25 AM

I would normally agree with you, but since it is almost impossible to tell when it is about personal choice or oppression from a religion with too much governmental control, until people truly have the freedom of choice to decide for themselves without fear of retribution, your statement doesn''t have any validity.

[downtowner97]

Is it just me, or does a person with a gun and a mask look like a robber?

[abdoul_pasha]

Actuallt it`s the opposite, inb many countries there is a governmental oppression against the headscarves and it`s not democracy, it`s against the personal freedoms.

[bareemperor]

Religion - so 12th Century

[displeased]

We saw millions going to vote in Iraq and Afghanistan, a clear sign that the people want it.
Posted by indivthinker

I think they were told who to vote for...

[sandy777-2009]

Thanks for the link jh6379

[tcoleman12]

I can understand that this would be an issue for them at this time. Moving to far, too fast. Having women search some men at this time may be a little too much.
Having them trained already is not a bad thing. Educating the youth on equality is what will make this allowable in the future.

[abdoul_pasha]

Posted by tcoleman12, bravo

[berniepeders]

"Other recent signs include a dozen women killed by religious militants in Basra for not covering their hair or dressing modestly."

What the H-E-L-L is wrong with these people (Muslims)?
Killing their own women citizens because their hair was showing? What kind of savages are they producing over there? And they want that "religion" to dominate the entire world? Give me a break!

[jncc1701]

Controlling women is what religion does best, Christianity has some doozies as well - remember when Saint Paul wrote that women cannot have positions of authority over men? I remember reading somewhere that some US service men used this as "religious" ground for not wanting female commanding officer in early 90s.
Or having a 80ish Supreme court justice say on partial birth abortion that women need to be protected from decisions they may regret later?

IT was stupid of us to allow the secular nature of Iraq to go down the drain, worse allowing the group who is aligned with Iran to come to power was equally as stupid.

[ivandrago]

That''s what happens when you let people rule from religious scriptures. Thankfully western society has wisely chosen to ignore the more repellent parts of the bible, which call from women to slaves to men.

Try to tell most women, that aren''t mormon or amish, to submit and bow down to the glory of men. You''d be lucky to not get kicked in the crotch. Thank goodness for that. The world doesn''t need anymore slaves.

[actornaught]

Yep, they sure love their women and their democracy so many have died for...

[ivandrago]

It''s sad, but I think many muslim men love women the way i love my car. sucks to be them eh?

[actornaught]

It''s alot easier for cretins to beat a woman into submission if she can''t shoot them, so they must be thinking ahead...

[j-whitman]

Wat to go George,,, Another one for your legacy --- SNAFU

[abdoul_pasha]

No the religion, but the ethnic culture oppresses the women or other groups from the society.

[actornaught]

Burka''s must be real convenient for cross-dressers until they get pounded into the pavement for walking upright...

[j-whitman]

actornaught,,,, I wonder if Giulani''s tried a Burka yet,, He''s a cross-dresser, or is that called gender-bending ???

[donbl1]

J, in politics, truth is what sells. Your overused cross dressing lie is becoming stale.

[j-whitman]

donbl1,,,, Rudy''s still your party''s 1st choice isn''t he ??? Personally I don''t think people that have close associations with people who funded the Mistermind of 9/11 should be ---- So, I think I''ll keep it up

[donbl1]

J, you have got to broaden your reading choices. There is a whole world out there........

[j-whitman]

donbl1,,,, Isn''t that''s what everyone''s complaining about ??? --- Politics being sold to the highest bidder ???

As for the truth selling, flatly it doesnt --- Others said so too the GOP & Bush rapidly learned -
-- "The great masses of the people ... will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one." -- Adolf Hitler

[edward1975-2009]

Your not going to change an entire culture in a few short years. We need to take small steps. After all it took quite a few years in our own country to achieve anything that resembled equal rights. And we still have a ways to go.

[j-whitman]

dontb1,,
,, Yep, an entire world is out there --- Isreal rolls tanks backed by air craft into the Gaza Strip, Iraqi policewomen are dissarmed for Islamic Law, Bush gives nuclear deals to Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi - North Korea has untill the end of the month to "fess up" on their nuclear weapons. And suicide bombs went off in Algeria & Afaganistan isn''t going so hot ----- Yep, there''s an entire world out there

[donbl1]

J, I hate the significance of money in the races. Hillary and Rudy have taken the most from the establishment. Mitt is kind of different because his is his own plus a lot of Mormon contributors out of Utah.

The real surprises of this election are Huckabee with no money and now second nationally and Obama with thousands of small contributors - and Oprah.

With the war no longer as important in the election, we are now seeing a shift to the message guys and those guys are Obama and Huckabee. Both are good speakers and both connect with their audiences.

I am not particularly fond of either right now but I suspect we will all get to know them a lot better.

[j-whitman]

Edward1975 --- The only legacy Bush is leaving behind are failures in the Middle East & the War on Terror

[donbl1]

dontb1,,
,, Yep, an entire world is out there --- Isreal rolls tanks backed by air craft into the Gaza Strip, Iraqi policewomen are dissarmed for Islamic Law, Bush gives nuclear deals to Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi - North Korea has untill the end of the month to "fess up" on their nuclear weapons. And suicide bombs went off in Algeria & Afaganistan isn''''t going so hot ----- Yep, there''''s an entire world out there.
Posted by j-whitman at 12:57 PM : Dec 11, 2007
+ report abuse

J, you can piece together unrelated events from around the world to proclaim Armegeddon but they are really pretty small in number compared to the 9 billion people living on our planet.

Lots of good stuff going on in the world. Do not think the worst. Life is really pretty good.

[j-whitman]

donbl1,,,, FYI -- "the war no longer as important",, Only to those who really never cared about it.

[abdoul_pasha]

The changes can`t be eforced as Bush`s administration wants. And it cannot happen for 5, 10, 15 or 50 years, the way is very long.

[j-whitman]

donbl1,,,, They happen to be Today''s events & yes they are all related ---- And I for one certailny don''t believe in Armegeddon, that''s Christian terrorism bring it about.

[gkc99]

"U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Phillips, who has led the effort to recruit female officers, said an official in the Interior Ministry told him: "Females are taken care of by men in our country. They are not out there being police officers."


Yes, the Muslim men take care of their women like they take care of their goats and camels. And they probably do the same things with their goats and camels as they do with their women.

[abdoul_pasha]

Ha, so we look after our camels and goats very very well.

[donbl1]

J, talk to you this evening.

[abdoul_pasha]

It`s easiest to be woman, goat or camel nowadays.

[edward1975-2009]

j-whitman: You make it sound as if this was a Republican only war. And it''s a shame you feel that way. But the failure is of both parties. And if it goes down as an embarassment, it will be an embarassment to all. And it will not get better no matter who wins the presidential election. We are there long-term, get used to it.

[tngreen]

As usual, the U.S. voters thought we could throw bombs, blood, and dollars at a problem and make it go away. Play god and create Iraq in our own image. So quaint, so naive.