WTF...Sending 28,000 IRAQI's for Police training.....to Hungary???

[cthrumatrix]

I think most of you have seen the headline on Drudge (which I ignored)..until I saw it again on Bloomberg & NY Times this morning.

U.S. to Send Iraqis to Site in Hungary for Police Course
By DEXTER FILKINS


AGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 24 — Eager to have more Iraqis take responsibility for their country's security, American officials here are planning to ferry as many as 28,000 Iraqis to Eastern Europe for an intensive police training course.

Bernard B. Kerik, a former New York City Police commissioner in charge of the Iraqi Interior Ministry, said in an interview that American officials had secured permission from the government of Hungary to set up a large police academy inside an old Soviet military base there.

Mr. Kerik said the extraordinary measures were necessary because the existing police academies in Iraq were not large enough to train that many officers in the next several months.

His plan is part of a larger effort by senior American officials here to press the Iraqis to take a greater share in running the country. The Bush administration is also under growing political pressure at home to lighten the load on the American forces here

more
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/25/international/worldspecial/25POLI.html?ex=1062388800&en=d8bb0c36175f6b0b&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

Seems a bit odd....not sure I buy not a large enough place to train. train them locally in each city..I think there's more to this.

Any thoughts...?

[Kahuna]

1. I think it's a good idea. There are risks that some of the new..

police officers may have anti-American sentiments. Hopefully they will set up some kind of peer oversight that can keep an eye on any infiltrators.

Iraq should be in charge of policing their own country. Anything that makes our military less of a target, I'm in favor of.

[Junkdrawer]

2. I think it's the old bootcamp principle...

take someone away from their homes, break them down, and rebuild them to your liking.

[kentuck]

8. The first two posts are correct....

Take them away from their homes...mold them to your liking. If they will go to Hungary, then they will not be assaulted and killed in their bckyard, as were some other trainees the other day. The Iraqis that agree to go to Hungary will be "good" recruits. However, it might be more difficult to get 28,000 than they think.

[Divernan]

3. Payback toHungary re joining "Coalition of the Willing";avoids DU exposure

Training 28,000 in a couple of months, plus the staff doing the training, administration, etc., equals nice chunk of US dollars pumped into Hungarian economy - construction, food, equipment, local hires, etc. This may also be tied to Hungary providing a token military force in Iraq. Plus the people doing the training will not be exposed to depleted uranium in Hungary, as they would be in Iraq.

[indepat]

4. Provide a penny of tribute and we provide you a multi-million dollar

contract/payback.

[Divernan]

5. Betcha this will be privately contracted out to Haliburton or the like.

You'd need a damn large staff to train thousands of Iraqis. Bet they use the private mercenaries already brought in through privatization. One reason a lot of privatized contractors backed out on their work in Iraq was that the private insurers of their employers demanded massive increases in health insurance costs for any employee setting foot in Iraq.

[ArkDem]

6. Well,..........................

for many years Hungary was a Police state!

[guajira]

7. Couldn't Believe It When I Heard it on the News

Guess things are getting too dangerous in Iraq - have to find another country to utilize for Whitehouse nefarious purposes. Wouldn't be surprised if Al Jaeda is already planning operations in Hungary!