Posted on 07/22/2008 5:00:24 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGHDAD — 1,698 officers, the largest class ever, graduated from the Ministry of Interior’s Baghdad Police College here July 20 and took the loyalty oath to uphold the rule of law and protect the citizens of Iraq.
The new course is known as the 1st Qualification Course. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki spoke of this initiative during Basrah operations as a means to promote both reconciliation and new jobs for former government employees and other recruits who met the qualifications. To become lieutenants in the police force, the graduates must complete the retraining and certification in the four-month course. Most were college graduates.
Due to their prior work experience, the average age of the graduates was higher than that for most police courses and ranged from 21 to 57. Forty-four percent of the graduates were from the southern provinces of Basrah and Maysan.
The graduates will be assigned throughout the Ministry of Interior in security and administrative positions in the Iraqi Police, National Police, Border Police and Traffic Police.
“You will share with your police brothers the challenges to defeat terrorists and continue to reduce crimes in every province in Iraq,” Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bulani told the large group of graduates. “Your work will give the citizens hope and security in a free and democratic Iraq.”
Bulani noted that the Ministry of Interior employees by “their great sacrifices have brought peace to many areas such as Samarra, Kut, Basrah, and Amara. The people are feeling and appreciating this new security. Many have made sacrifices to realize our dream for a peaceful and democratic Iraq.”
He also told the graduates by “your professionalism and loyalty, you will increase the Iraqi people’s confidence in the Ministry of Interior forces.”
“Keep your loyalty to your country and carry out your responsibilities with honor, you will keep Iraq free and keep liberty for the people. Your duty always is to defend Iraq and the people of Iraq.”
The four-month course included instruction in English, the new Penal Law, police operations, criminal investigations, administrative duties, forensics, human rights and anti-terrorism.
This is a daunting task. Here when we have police recruits, they are introduced into their local precinct to work with senior officers. In Iraq, this is a new mandate. The recruits may have some senior officers by not many, and the depth of knowledge of procedures and tactics seems like it would be shallow.
I sure wish these folks well.
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