I have a question - who ARE the "Iraqi Police"?

[LisaM]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't these people the U.S. has recruited, trained, and hired to work along with the Coalition Provisional Authority? The Iraq towns don't actually have functioning police departments that they run themselves, do they?

In other words, aren't WE the Iraqi police? This is one part of the whole Nick Berg thing that completely mystifies me. I find it almost impossible to believe that there are self-governing Iraqi polic departments that have both the desire and the means to detain American contract workers. Does anyone know who really initially detained Nick Berg?

[Solly Mack]

1. They run them "administratively" but answer to the coalition authority

meaning, they don't control them at all.

[bobthedrummer]

9. DYN CORP. has the "contract" for Iraqi police and corrections

Click on DYN CORP,
http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/resources.aspx?act=total

and while we're looking for facts about this horrible crime consider that SAIC has at least 7 DoD "contracts" for broadcast media in Iraq. Since the victim ostensably was in Iraq to look at "radio towers" he must have had contact with SAIC at some point, don't ya think?

Mercenaries will do assassinations, cults would do human sacrifices, both are found in the administration of George W. Bush aka The War President.

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.

[bobthedrummer]

10. Truth kick.

:dem:

[Doctor Smith]

2. Iraq is an occupied country

The occupiers are responsible for everything that happens in the country.

[Doug Decker]

6. Welcome to DU, Doctor Smith...

I can't help myself, "DANGER, DANGER WILL ROBINSON".

Sorry. :hi:

[fryguy]

3. a fallacy

the "police" exist only because there is the American army a phone call away, otherwise no one would pay them any attention. in fact, there have already been reports of Iraq police not only fleeing their posts when "insurgents" attacked, but also joining in fighting against the soldiers. so once again, we've decided to arm and train a group who, at the moment appears tacitly to be supporting us, but may at any time turn on us. sound familiar? Iran. Iraq. Afghanistan. Nicaragua. Etc. etc.

[RafterMan]

11. Don't knock the Iraqi police

According to a BBC survey ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/15_03_04_iraqsurvey.pdf ), they placed second to religious authorities in the "How much confidence do you place in..." question. In the same survey, only 1.5% thought attacks against them were justified, while 17% thought it was acceptable to attack coalition forces. So most Iraqis seem to feel that the Iraqi police are not "us".

As for deserting their posts when Sadr attacked, how many US police stations could hold out against automatic rifles and RPGs?

[LisaM]

4. Thanks, doesn't it seem to be a curiously under-reported

part of this whole mess? I think someone should press Rumsfeld or McClellan on this.

[revcarol]

5. Desperate men who want jobs.

They dislike starvation for themselves and their families.

Trained by DYNCORP, so you know they are going to be keeping in mind human rights, doncha?

[AP]

7. Iraq is our fiefdom. We're the viceroy. We run the show.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

8. stooges

n/t