BAGHDAD – The development and sustainment of Iraq’s physical and economical security depend greatly on the government’s ability to protect its natural resources. Iraq has some of the biggest oil reserves in the world and the Ministry of Interior has developed a training program for the Iraqi Oil Police, a highly skilled police force to protect the country’s oil infrastructure.
“This training is for the protection of Iraq,” said 1st Lt. Ahmed Dawood, an Iraqi instructor for the Ministry of Interior Oil Police program. “Many of the students are learning essential information to improve their police skills.”
The center for training Iraq’s Oil Police, is on Camp Dublin, Victory Base Complex. Italy's paramilitary police, the Carabinieri, part of NATO Training Mission - Iraq, instruct the oil police to protect a vast oil infrastructure consisting of four strategic refineries, nine regional refineries and 4,300 miles of oil and gas pipelines, said Col. Sergio Di Rosalia, commander of the NTM- I Italian Carabinieri unit.
Oil Police recruits undergo a seven week basic course taught by the Carabinieri Gendarmerie Training Unit that expands upon the current NTM-I Federal Police Training Program, said Di Rosalia.
Twenty courses are taught in the duration of the course, said Lt. Augusto Sorvillo, commander of the Carabinieri tactical training team at Camp Dublin.
“Some of the topics covered in the specialized course include basic land navigation, topography, oil infrastructure technology, weapons skills, self defense, crime scene preservation and surveillance procedures,” said Sorvillo.
During the final week before graduation the students begin testing on all subjects, said Sorvillo.
“I found that this course taught me appropriate leadership,” said Abd Al Masheed Rasheed Tajal, a student and captain of a police department in Mosul. “The Carabineri are very good trainers.”
In all, 227 students, that consists of 17 officers and 210 agents are scheduled to graduate from the current course.
By the end of August the Iraqi Oil Police will complete its fifth cycle. At this time, approximately 1,000 oil police have been trained.