- BAGHDAD (Reuters) -- The
U.S. general in charge of Baghdad said Tuesday it would be at least another
eight months before the Iraqi capital had enough police, contradicting
previous U.S. claims that numbers were sufficient. Maj. Gen. Pete Chiarelli,
whose 1st Cavalry Division is responsible for security in Baghdad and its
suburbs -- an area of about six million people -- said there were currently
about 15,000 people working for the capital's force.
-
- "We're about 10,000 short of what we need,"
he told reporters. "But by next spring, or early next summer, we'll
be right where we need to be."
-
- He said recruitment to the police force was strong despite
almost daily suicide car bombings on recruitment posts in Baghdad and elsewhere.
More than 1,000 police and recruits have been killed in bombs and shootings
over the past year.
-
- Chiarelli's timeframe may raise questions about whether
Baghdad will have enough police to help provide security for the country's
elections in January -- the biggest security test the interim Iraqi government
faces.
-
- While 135,000 U.S. troops will still be in Iraq in January,
the U.S. military has said it intends to put Iraqi forces in control of
the country ahead of the polls.
-
- The huge shortfall of police in Baghdad is particularly
remarkable because U.S. authorities repeatedly claimed ahead of the handover
of power in June that numbers were sufficient.
-
- In January, the chief spokesman for the U.S. administration
in Iraq said that there were already 150,000 people working for the country's
security forces and that 220,000 would be on the job by the June handover
to the Iraqi government.
-
- But more than three months after the handover, there
are still about 150,000 people working in security, including 90,000 police
nationwide, according to the Interior Ministry.
-
- CORRUPT COPS
-
- There were more members of the force, but of those recruited
many turned out to be criminals or corrupt -- collecting a salary but not
turning up to work, the Interior Ministry said. Others resigned, were killed
or went into retirement.
-
- Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said recently that corruption,
disloyalty or phantom employment had caused around 40,000 names to be struck
from the roll. The Interior Ministry said it would be some months before
precise police figures were available.
-
- While there may be 90,000 police serving around the country,
the real problem is in Baghdad, the city with the largest population and
a very high degree of insecurity.
-
- Chiarelli said that while recruitment was strong, training
new police was taking time.
-
- "We've had some police that we weren't that happy
with. It takes time to get the right ones," Chiarelli said.
-
- All recruits to the force must go through eight weeks'
training, much less than in most parts of the world, and are then put straight
to work. The Interior Ministry spokesman said that many are illiterate
and not up to the job.
-
- Chiarelli said he hoped there would be 20,000 police
on Baghdad's force by the elections, which he hoped would be sufficient
to provide security on election day.
-
- That will mean adding 5,000 recruits in the next few
months.
-
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- http://news.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6546827
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