11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Police officers and institutions targeted by terrorists ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23625]

"Terrorists particularly targeted police officers and institutions. An estimated 1,830 members of the police and military were killed during the year, according to press reports tracked by the Web site Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. For example, a May 5 suicide bombing killed 15 persons and injured 22, mostly police recruits, outside an army base west of Baghdad in a queue of recruits lining up for jobs near Abu Ghraib prison. On December 9, the police chief of Babil Province, MOI Major General Qais al-Mamouri and two of his bodyguards were killed by a roadside bomb in Hillah. Al-Mamouri, who was widely known for his political independence, had been the object of six previous attempts on his life after becoming police chief. On December 10, insurgents reportedly launched a rocket attack on a detention facility in the Rusafa District of eastern Baghdad, killing five detainees and injuring 25 others."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Reform efforts of police and sectarian politics within Ministry of Interior ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23647]

"Reform efforts to increase the capacity and effectiveness of the police continued. During the year the MOI National Police relieved both of its division commanders, 10 brigade commanders that had led its nine brigades, and 18 of 28 battalion commanders in the process of vetting for criminal and sectarian associations with militias. However, as noted in section 1.c, sectarian politics between the Badr Organization and the JAM appeared to play a strong role in MOI disciplinary actions, as well as in general MOI internal actions. Reform efforts also included human rights training and other forms of assistance. Basic recruits received approximately 32 hours of human rights training in their eight to 10 week course."

Document(s): Open document

08.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Involvement of Shi'ite Mehdi Army and Badr Brigade in Iraqi police force ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Iraqi Asylum-seekers") [ID 22705]

"Since the Shi’ites came to power in the January 2005 elections, and in particular under the term of SCIRI Minister of Interior Bayan Jabr, Shi’ite militia members entered the ISF in large numbers. The Mehdi Army has built a strong presence in the regular Police and in the 150,000-strong Facilities Protection Service (FPS), while the Badr Brigade dominated Special Police Commando units, which since May 2006 have been consolidated into the Iraqi National Police. Consistent reports have indicated the involvement of the ISF in kidnappings, torture and summary executions of Sunnis. In November 2005, a joint MNF/ISF raid on the Ministry of Interior’s Al-Jadiriyya Facility in Baghdad discovered some 170 weakened and malnourished detainees, mostly Sunni Arabs, many bearing injuries consistent with torture. At least 18 others allegedly had died in custody and the fate of others remained unknown. The Government of Iraq initiated an investigation into the incident, but to date has failed to publish its findings or to initiate criminal proceedings against those involved in the abuse. Between December 2005 and May 2006, joint MNF/ISF teams inspected at least eight facilities run by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence in and around Baghdad. The inspectors found consistent evidence of detainee abuse at most locations, including the Ministry of Interior’s Site 4 Facility. According to UNAMI HRO, the inspection at Site 4 had revealed “systematic evidence of physical and psychological abuse.” UNAMI HRO in December 2006 reported that while an investigation revealed that 57 employees, including high-ranking officers, of the Ministry of Interior were involved in degrading treatment of prisoners at Site 4, nobody has yet been held accountable. It further reported that it continues to receive information pointing to torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment in detention centres administered by the Ministry of Interior or security forces throughout Iraq."

Document(s): Open document

27.06.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

Report on US training of Iraqi soldiers and police officers ("Iraqi security not ready despite training - report"), Autor: Reuters Foundation [ID 20492]

"The United States has spent more than $19 billion training hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers and police officers, but they are still not ready to provide security, a congressional report said on Wednesday. [...] While some 350,000 Iraqi military and police personnel have been trained and equipped since then, the Pentagon is unable to say how well they can perform their missions, or even where many of them and their weapons are now, the report said."

Document(s): Open document

11.06.2007 - Source: Guardian

Diyala province: Attack on police chief's house leaves 14 dead ("14 killed in attack on police chief's house") [ID 20670]

"Carloads of attackers descended on a police chief's house north-east of Baghdad at dawn yesterday, killing the official's wife, two brothers and 11 guards, and kidnapping three of his grown children, Diyala provincial police said."

Document(s): Open document

10.06.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

At least 14 Iraqi police officers killed and dozens more injured in a car-bomb attack on a police building ("Bomb Blast Kills At Least 14 Iraqi Police") [ID 20672]

Document(s): Open document

06.2007 - Source: Freedom House

Abuses by security forces ("Freedom in the World 2007") [ID 20742]

"Human rights abuses by the nascent security forces have taken on a sectarian dimension, fueling instability. Police recruits have themselves been a target of violence. As of August 2006, there were approximately 36,000 people in detention. [...] The internal security forces are dominated by Shiites, and there were credible allegations of employment discrimination against Sunni Arabs and non-Muslim minorities in some government institutions in 2006."

Document(s): Open document

08.01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

HRW urges Iraqi government to prosecute security forces for abuses ("US Plan Must Rein in Death Squads") [ID 20189]

"Any new US plan for Iraq will fail to provide security for Iraqis unless it dismantles militias that have terrorized the civilian population, Human Rights Watch said today. The militias have operated as quasi-independent security forces under the protection of the Ministry of Interior, abducting, torturing and killing hundreds of people every month and dumping mutilated corpses in public areas."

Document(s): Open document

28.12.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Security forces raided the Al-Jamaat police station in Al-Basrah after being told that dozens of detainees were about to be put to death ("Iraq: Torture Allegations Hang Over Government") [ID 18073]

Document(s): Open document

07.12.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

At least 5 police officers reportedly killed, including the deputy chief of police in the central Saadun district of Baghdad ("Five Police Officers, 11 U.S. Troops Killed In Iraq") [ID 18188]

Document(s): Open document

02.11.2006 - Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Report on options for expanding Iraqi forces (expanding and transforming Iraqi forces; creating new army forces; Iraqi regular forces; Ministry of Interior and National Police forces; regular police forces and facilities protection services; transfer of all security operations to Iraqi command) ("Options for Expanding Iraqi Forces: Goals and Realities") [ID 18047]

Document(s): Open document

06.01.2005 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Policemen resigning due to insecurity and threats ("original document (English)") [ID 10588]

"Iraqi police continue to leave their jobs, and some are even leaving the country, in response to violence and threats against them. (...) According to the Interior Ministry, there were some 76,000 police officers in Iraq during Saddam's time. After the former Iraqi president was ousted in April 2003, there were no police officers for a month. (...)"

Document(s): original document (English)

19.11.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Mosul: police deserted and took up arms alongside militants ("original document") [ID 10589]

"IRAQI POLICE AIDED MILITANTS IN MOSUL INSURGENCY. The growing insurgency in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul took a turn in recent days as many police in the city reportedly deserted their positions and took up arms alongside militants. Sources told RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) that multinational forces arrested General Muhammad Khayri al-Birhawi, the director-general of Mosul police, accusing him of cooperating with terrorists in the city, RFI reported on 15 November."

Document(s): original document

15.11.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Militants continued to target Iraqi police forces in several cities ("original document") [ID 10590]

"MILITANTS MAINTAIN FOCUS ON IRAQI POLICE. Militants continued to target Iraqi police forces in several cities last week. Gunmen attacked three Iraqi police checkpoints in Kirkuk on 12 November, Al-Sharqiyah television reported. Kirkuk Police Director Colonel Arkan Hamad said that unidentified militants ambushed the checkpoints, which are regularly used by U.S. forces. Hamad said that the militants seized weapons and escaped in two police vehicles.

Kirkuk Governor Abd al-Rahman Mustafa escaped an apparent assassination attempt on 11 November KurdSat television reported. The incident occurred when Mustafa's convoy was the target of a car bomb on the Shahidan Bridge in the city. Fourteen people were killed in that incident, including six of the governor's bodyguards. The body of a Kurd who worked as a translator for U.S. forces was found in a bag in the city, MENA reported on 6 November. A note written on the bag said that the same fate will befall everyone who "dares to cooperate with [Israeli] Mossad or the occupation forces," MENA reported.

Mosul remained an insurgency hotbed (see "RFE/RL Iraq Report," 5 November 2004) as militants attacked and raided six police stations, setting three ablaze, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reported on 11 November. An RFI correspondent in the city said that militants could be seen roaming the streets, which were deserted. The Ninawah governor imposed a curfew on the city on 10 November, Reuters reported.

AP reported on 12 November that the interim government fired Mosul Police Chief Brigadier General Muhammad Khayri Barhawi after reports that some Iraqi police abandoned their positions and in some cases cooperated with militants during the 11 November attacks.

U.S. Central Command issued a press release on 11 November that said U.S. forces had been called into the city after "anti-Iraqi forces exceeded the capabilities of the police on site" in clashes on 10-11 November. Four Iraqi National Guard units have also been dispatched to the city from their bases near the Syrian border, Ninawah Deputy Governor Khisro Goran said. The units are mainly comprised of Kurds who are former peshmerga forces that were incorporated into the National Guard. Militants also attempted to storm a food-distribution center in Mosul, in an attempt to destroy election-registration cards held there, Goran said, AP reported on 12 November. Brigadier General Muwaffaq Muhammad Dahham, the head of Mosul's anticrime unit, was also killed by militants near his home, and his home was then burned down, police sources said.

Militants attacked three Iraqi police stations in Ba'qubah on 9 November, international media reported. Reuters reported that there were conflicting reports coming from the city on the number of dead and wounded. Ahmad Fuad, the official in charge of the city's main morgue, told Reuters that 45 bodies were received following the attacks, adding that 32 people were wounded. He later retracted the figures, denying that any deceased victims of the attacks had been brought to the morgue. Diyala Governorate police chief Walid Abd al-Salam told Reuters that four policemen and four civilians were wounded in the attacks. Reuters cited Abd al-Salam as telling Al-Jazeera that seven militants were killed and four wounded in the clashes.

Reuters reported that a statement attributed to Tanzim Qa'idat Al-Jihad fi Bilad Al-Rafidayn was posted on the Internet on 9 November claiming attacks on three police stations in Ba'qubah that killed more than 45 policemen. Meanwhile, Arab satellite television channels reported on 9 November that gunmen control the cities of Hit and Al-Ramadi. Those reports were not confirmed.

Militants attacked three police stations in the Al-Anbar Governorate towns of Hadithah, Al-Haqlaniyah, and Al-Barwanah, Al-Jazeera reported on 7 November. The attacks left 23 policemen dead, Reuters reported. Twenty-one policemen were captured in the Hadithah fighting, taken to the nearby K-3 oil-pumping station, and killed execution-style. A policeman in Hadithah told AFP that the militants also confiscated weapons and 15 police vehicles.

Twelve national guardsmen were killed execution-style on a riverbank in Al-Latifiyah after militants disguised as policemen stopped their vehicle on 6 November, Voice of the Mujahedin Radio reported. The guardsmen were on their way home to Al-Najaf after attending a training program in Baghdad. The militants reportedly spared the life of the guardsmen's driver, and sent him to get ransom money in exchange for their handing over the bodies for burial.

Curfew was imposed in Samarra on 7 November after four car bombs targeted police stations in the city a day earlier, killing 34 and wounding 49 people, mostly policemen. Two car bombs detonated in Baghdad on 6 November, one on the Baghdad airport road and the other near the home of Finance Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi.

The Iraqi Police Service graduated some 2,500 officers from basic training courses this week, U.S. Central Command said in an 11 November press release. The recruits were graduated from training programs located in Sulaymaniyah, the Baghdad Public Safety Academy, and from the Jordan International Police Training Center in Amman, Jordan. Nearly 80 women graduated from the Baghdad training program. The recruits were trained on the basics of policing skills and techniques and the ideals of law enforcement in a free society, the press release stated. The graduates will be immediately assigned to duty at stations throughout Iraq. (Kathleen Ridolfo)"

Document(s): original document

22.10.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Muslim Scholars Association: Sharia law for military and police ("original document") [ID 10591]

"MUSLIM SCHOLARS ASSOCIATION URGES MILITARY, POLICE, NOT TO ASSIST U.S. The Muslim Scholars Association issued a statement in its weekly "Al-Basa'ir" on 14 October urging Iraqi police and military forces not to partake in operations in support of U.S.-led multinational forces. The statement issued by the Sunni organization called on these forces to disobey any orders by their superiors which go against Shari'a law and the "unity of the homeland and citizens." "The duty of the army is to protect the borders and defend values, holy places, and properties. Under shari'a law, the army is prohibited from participating in actions leading to the imposition of foreign control on the country," it added. "The Muslim Scholars Association in Iraq calls on the Iraqi police and national guard personnel to adhere to their original duties and carry out their work in compliance with the shari'a and original laws that are designed to organize their work." (Kathleen Ridolfo)"

Document(s): original document

20.08.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Najaf : KIDNAPPINGS, THREATS, AND BEHEADINGS BY MILITIAMEN ("original document") [ID 10593]

"AL-NAJAF POLICE CHIEF DISCUSSES KIDNAPPINGS, THREATS, AND BEHEADINGS BY MILITIAMEN. Al-Najaf police chief Ghalib al-Jaza'iri has spoken out against the "barbaric" acts of militiamen loyal to al-Sadr, saying the militia has kidnapped, killed, and even beheaded some of his policemen, Reuters reported on 16 August. The militia is currently holding al-Jaza'iri's 80-year-old father hostage after kidnapping and dragging him through the streets of the city. The police chief's brothers were reportedly beaten unconscious. Al-Jaza'iri said that 40 of his policemen have been killed, several of them by beheading. He claimed that militiamen have gouged out the eyes of some of the officers and boiled them in hot water. "Do Iraqi police behead people?" al-Jaza'iri asked. "This is barbaric. They enter people's homes and they kill the relatives of policemen.""

Document(s): original document

08.2004 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Report on the current security and legal situation, material safety, displacement situation, human rights and protection situation as well as an overall analysis ("Country of Origin Information (COI) paper on Iraq (as of August 2004)") [#24717],  [ID 10594]

Document(s): Open document

25.06.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

30,000 IRAQI POLICEMEN TO BE DISMISSED ("original document") [ID 10595]

"30,000 IRAQI POLICEMEN TO BE DISMISSED. The British daily "The Guardian" on 24 June cited U.K. military sources as saying that as many as 30,000 Iraqi policemen might be relieved of their duties due to incompetence and corruption.

The officers would reportedly be paid off -- at a cost of some $60 million -- to leave their jobs before the 30 June transfer of power. The Iraqi police force has been plagued with incompetence from the beginning, with officers often adopting behavior acceptable under the Saddam Hussein regime but contrary to protocol set by the coalition, according to recent media reports. Moreover, reports have further said that officers have sometimes refused to partake in fighting against militants, most recently in Al-Fallujah.

"The Guardian" reported that there are currently 120,000 policemen on the payroll, but only 89,000 actually turn up for work -- and more than half of those employed have not been trained. The daily added that those who don't work are either ghost employees on the books from the time of the Hussein regime, or are just continuously absent employees. Some 30,000 officers who are to be terminated from their positions will each receive between $1,000 and $2,000 in severance pay."

Document(s): original document

22.04.2004 - Source: BBC News

Iraqi forces 'turn on coalition' ("original document") [ID 10597]

"Iraqi forces 'turn on coalition'

The new coalition-trained Iraqi police force is being infiltrated by insurgents, a US army general has said. Maj Gen Martin Dempsey said about 10% of new officers were rebels and a further 40% had left their jobs - but the rest "stood tall and stood firm".

His comments came hours after a series of bomb blasts in southern Iraq killed at least 68 people. In the city of Falluja, coalition forces say 36 insurgents have died in fighting which began on Wednesday.

US troops said this began when up to 60 rebels attacked them with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades - despite a ceasefire agreed earlier in the week. The city, west of Baghdad, is held by Sunni militants.

'Intimidation'

Gen Dempsey, commander of the US army's 1st Armored Division, told media executives in an interview that he believed popular support for the coalition among Iraqis remained high, though it could not be taken for granted.

But he acknowledged that one in every 10 of the Iraqi security forces trained by the coalition ended up working against the US-led forces.

"About 50% of the security forces that we built over the past year stood tall and stood firm," he told the annual meeting of the Associated Press news agency.
"About 40% of them walked off the job because they were intimidated and about 10% actually worked against us." (...)"

Document(s): original document

01.04.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

Overview regarding the police forces ("original document") [ID 10599]

Document(s): original document

01.03.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Southern Iraq: youth police force work for sharia courts ("original document") [ID 10602]

Information how sharia law is used concerning marriage, divorce, land ownership disputes, fraud, adultery and robbery. Courts also conduct investigations, detain people with the help of youth police force.

Document(s): original document

06.02.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Risks for police officers increasing ("original document") [ID 10603]

Information about risk, death rate and work of police officers.

Document(s): original document

30.01.2004 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

IRAQI SECRET POLICE OPERATING IN AL-BASRAH ("original document") [ID 10604]

"London's "The Sunday Times" reportedly has uncovered the existence of a secret police force operating in the southern Iraqi city of Al-Basrah that has purportedly kidnapped, detained, and even killed former Ba'ath Party members, the newspaper reported on 25 January. The report contends that the Istikhbarat al-Shurta (Police Intelligence) unit is operating with the approval of British forces, which are responsible for southern Iraq. The families of Iraqis kidnapped at gunpoint by the unit have said that British officials have not helped them in locating their relatives.

According to the report, a senior commander of the unit told a "Sunday Times" reporter that the unit employed members of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq's (SCIRI) armed wing, the Badr Brigades. He also said that armed Badr members had assisted the unit in "dangerous" missions. A number of prisoners were seen during a visit to the police intelligence headquarters in Al-Basrah, many of whom had reportedly been left handcuffed and blindfolded for four or five days.

The U.S.-led occupation authority disarmed Badr fighters last year following the overthrow of the Hussein regime. Since that time, it has been reported that the armed wing has sought revenge against former regime members. Some of the victims are reportedly former Ba'ath Party members that were encouraged to register as such and reapply for their jobs. The report said that some victims were killed in the street after they left the registration office.

"When talking to normal ordinary people, we say that we are police, but in fact we work for the government," Istikhbarat al-Shurta Deputy Director Abbas Abd al-Ali told "The Sunday Times." "Only one-third of our work is police work. The rest is civilian intelligence and intelligence for state officials," he added. "We have our eyes and ears everywhere around the city."

Meanwhile, an unnamed spokesman for Britain's 20th Armored Brigade told the newspaper that the force is officially known to the coalition as the "special operations department." "We know there are certain ways of the past that have to be unlearnt. If [the Police Intelligence unit] or anyone are keeping people blindfolded and handcuffed for an extended period then that is not acceptable," he said. He added that the British would not support the integration of any militias into the police force. (...)"

Document(s): original document

20.11.2003 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Strength of Iraqi securty forces ("original document") [ID 10605]

"(...) According to U.S. government figures, the Iraqi security forces stand this month at 55,000 police, 700 military, and 29,800 in other services, including the new Civil Defense Force. But Ignatius says that many of those in the Civil Defense Force are young, inexperienced recruits who are bearing arms for the first time. (...)

U.S. officials have said they hope to have more than 200,000 Iraqis in security forces by September to take over much of the work being done now by U.S. and foreign troops. But Washington also has suggested U.S. troops will have to remain in the country well beyond that date. (...)"

Document(s): original document

10.09.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

American interference in police work, lack of public respect and shortage of resources are among difficulties faced by the 30,000-strong Iraqi police force ("New Police Force Finds Going Tough") [#15964],  [ID 10608]

Document(s): Open document

13.08.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Strength and problems of Iraqi police forces and Iraqi Armed Forces ("original document") [ID 10606]

"Around 30,000 troops, including 3,800 military police, handle most of the law enforcement in Baghdad. As of mid-June there were 8,800 Iraqi police officers with the CPA planning to recruit and train a total of 18,000 officers.

In July recruitment to Iraq's new army began. The force, likely to be around 40,000 strong, will be responsible for guarding the country's borders but will not be responsible for restoring security, a duty that will remain with coalition troops. The new army will be open to men aged between 18 and 40."

Document(s): original document

08.05.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

Basra: cases of police brutality, revenge killings and disappearances reported ("Iraq: Amnesty International in Basra - Field Update May 8 2003") [#12729],  [ID 10109]

Document(s): Open document

03.04.2003 - Source: Guardian

Iraqi police routinely tortured civilians who could not afford to pay extortionate bribes ("Claims of police bribery and torture") [#11891],  [ID 10110]

Document(s): Open document