Emergency Response Brigades Return to Iraqi Federal Police?

Montrose Toast Blog ^ | 24 January 2011 | DJ Elliott

[DJ Elliott]

There is little data concerning the Iraqi Ministry of Interior’s Emergency Response Force’s developments. This force is known to be expanding but, little is ever reported about the Ministry of Interior’s Special Operations Force. Some of what follows is speculation or rumor intelligence [unconfirmed].

All of the Provincial Iraqi Police Paramilitary forces are planned to be retrained and reequipped as part of their conversion to Emergency Response Brigades and Federal Police. The ERBs have first chance at the personnel from the provincial SWAT forces. They are sent to the Operator Selection Course and the best 50 percent join the ERBs while the others return to the provincial forces or go to Federal Police training.

Only 9 of the existing 12-14 Emergency Response Battalions have been identified so far. They appear to be being organizing into 6-7 brigades at this time. The Federal Police plans to have at least a brigade in each province while the ERF plans to mirror this with at least a battalion of SWAT personnel in each province. The Federal Police plans to grow to 16-20 divisions and the ERF to 16-20 brigades.