Insurgents infiltrate Iraqi police: US study

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N258193.htm

Insurgents infiltrate Iraqi police: US study

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) - Iraq's police service has accepted recruits with criminal backgrounds and even insurgents planning terrorist attacks because of poor vetting procedures, according to a U.S. government report released on Monday.

The 96-page report, based on a study by the Pentagon and State Department Inspector Generals' offices, said that too many recruits were "marginally literate" and some had reported for training with criminal records and physical handicaps.

"Even more troubling is infiltration by intending terrorists or insurgents. There is sufficient evidence to conclude that such persons indeed are among the ranks of the IPS (Iraq Police Service)," said the unclassified report, dated July 15.

"This underscores the need for the most rigorous review of each applicant's records," warned the new report, which came as deadly insurgent attacks mounted against police stations and recruiting depots in the troubled country.

<</SNIP>>

[Jacobin]

1. Gee, Iraqis have infiltrated the Iraqi Police Force

Whod'a thunk it?

:eyes:

[nookiemonster]

4. Yeah, who would of saw that coming.....

:sarcasm:

[skypilot]

2. Jesus!!!

It's just a mess over there on EVERY level.

[texastoast]

3. I heard about this a few months ago

Our guys who are "training Iraqi security forces" are actually giving the insurgents an inside view of how the police will defend against the insurgents. So . . . I guess that sort of gives the insurgents a bit of a leg up?

Ah, the genius of it all.

[Barrett808]

5. It also gives them uniforms, weapons, intelligence... n/t

[Yupster]

6. Don't know how you could stop that

Same thing in Vietnam.

It was even a theme of the movie the Green Berets with John Wayne and that was about as positive a spin as you would ever see.

Commander Sulu took care of the traitor though, but then he bought it too.

[NNN0LHI]

7. This is shocking. Recommended n/t

[Zorra]

8. Completely predictable. We need to get out of there ASAP. n/t

[libodem]

9. what a nightmare

[54anickel]

10. Hey, that was way back in April, the Pentagon says they're all over

it like flies on sh*t. Nothin' to worry about. :sarcasm:

The last paragraph...why do they always bury the interesting stuff!

[UpInArms]

11. related: Report finds significant problems with Iraqi police training

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/12220137.htm

WASHINGTON - Too many of Iraq's new police officers are barely literate, some have shown up for training with criminal records, and the extent of insurgent infiltration in their ranks is largely unknown, according to a new U.S. government report issued Monday.

Inspectors from the State Department and Pentagon, who spent five weeks in Iraq this spring evaluating police training, also found that most of the training had been designed and carried out with too little input from Iraqi leaders.

The inspectors agreed with recommendations from Iraq's Interior Ministry and international trainers that Iraqis would be better able to screen police recruits than foreign soldiers would. They further suggested that the program should be focused on training police already in the ranks, rather than simply adding more.

<snip>

"We are preparing them for failure," the report quoted one unidentified officer as saying. Another said that it is "widely perceived that the police are under-trained and underpaid."

...more...

[The_Casual_Observer]

12. What happens when they realize that the "insurgents" ARE the

police and military. The day is coming.

[Porcupine]

13. They realize that now. Read situation reports....

small squads of insurgents oops, um, "police trainees" accompany larger forces of U.S. ground troops on operations. This is to force the "trainees" to kill other Iraqis. No American GI is stupid enough to trust his life to an overwhelming number of Iraqi National troops or police trainees.

I have read repeated reports where sporadic gunfire starts, two thirds of the Iraqi troops disapear and then the attack hits injuring or killing Americans. I'm sure it happens all the time.

[Rhiannon12866]

14. Iraqi police recruits not up to scratch, says US report

Michael Howard in Baghdad
Tuesday July 26, 2005
The Guardian

The vetting of recruits to Iraq's police force is so poor that many who join up have criminal records, are barely literate, or are members of the insurgency, a new US government report has concluded.

The report, compiled by Pentagon and state department officials and quoted in this week's Time magazine, said that while training for the new Iraqi police force had improved, there were still a number of serious problems.

According to Time, the report says that "too many recruits are marginally literate; some show up for training with criminal records or physical handicaps; and some recruits allegedly are ... insurgents".

The report adds to a recent assessment by the US military in Iraq that only half of the country's police battalions are capable of fighting insurgents.

The new report will make depressing reading for the Bush administration, whose exit strategy from Iraq rests on the ability of Iraq's nascent security forces to gradually assume control of the country.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1535990,00.html

[Rhiannon12866]

15. I can't find anything in The Times or the Post on this report...

But, of course, it's a headline in the foreign press...:kick:

[leftchick]

17. Here is the WaPo story buried on page 16....

they have been infiltrated but they are still a "SUCCESS"!!

:banghead:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501577.html

U.S. Report Faults Iraqi Police Screening

Associated Press
Tuesday, July 26, 2005; Page A16

Iraq's police force has suffered from inadequate recruiting and screening of candidates, apparently even allowing some insurgents to join, a U.S. report said yesterday.

Even so, the study by the inspectors general at the Defense and State departments said the effort to build up Iraq's police agencies has been a qualified success.


In a written response, the military said it is addressing most of the concerns raised by the study. The investigation concluded in April, and Pentagon officials said many of the proposed changes are already being implemented.

A functioning Iraqi police force and an Iraqi military that is capable of fighting the insurgency without American help are regarded as critical before U.S. troops can leave the country. One of the report's key criticisms was that coalition military personnel are not able to properly find and screen candidates for the police force.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. Thanks! Yikes! They really didn't want us to read this, did they?!!!

And exactly what is a "qualified success?!!!" A "miserable failure?!!!" (I'm quoting Dick Gephardt, describing the Bush* presidency, here...):shrug:

On edit: I've got it! This is another "catastrophic success!" Right?!!!:think:

"A functioning Iraqi police force and an Iraqi military that is capable of fighting the insurgency without American help are regarded as critical before U.S. troops can leave the country.''

Okay, exactly how is the Iraqi military expected to fight the insurgency, if they're hiring actual insurgents to do this?!:crazy:

[bvar22]

16. some recruits allegedly are ... insurgents".

:rofl:
And they are surprised????
I know I shouldn't be laughing, but DAAAAMMMMNNN! those people who thought they could train Iraqis to kill their friends and neighbors so bush* could install an American CorpoFriendly government are guilty of CRIMINAL MAGICAL THINKING!

I'm not going to say ,"WE TOLD YOU SO!",
I'm going to say :WE FUCKING TOLD YOU SO!!!!

[malachi]

19. The sad thing about this whole fuckin' mess is that

the stupid bastards making these incredibly moronic decisions are not the ones that are going to suffer the consequences, our troops and Iraqi citizens will pay with their lives. Brilliant.