Photo By Master Sgt. Jerry Saslav | Iraqi national police officer from the Sayafiyah Battalion provides secruity for...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Jerry Saslav
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
JOINT SECURITY STATION SULIEKH, Iraq – An Iraqi national police patrol pulled out of Joint Security Station Suliekh on Dec. 3 and headed for the Gray'at neighborhood of Baghdad's Adhamiyah District.
The officers were from the Sayafiyah Battalion, and they intended "to show the local civilians and population that there is some Iraqi security forces on the ground," said Lt.Col. Faisel Hassan Abdullah, the Sayafiyah Battalion's executive officer.
"This is the first mission for the battalion in that neighborhood," he explained.
The battalion received intelligence from sources indicating Special Groups' criminals were using Gray'at as a safe haven and a place to store weapons. The officers intended to seize the illegal weapons.
The police gathered the intelligence and planned the mission. Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, along with the Sayafiyah Battalion National Police Transition Team attached to the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., and a military dog team provided assistance, but it was the Iraqi's operation.
The police split into two groups; one group in the northern part of the neighborhood; the second in the southern section. The coalition forces also split into two groups and each group linked up with its Iraqi counterpart leading the way.
"By treating the civilians and the local population properly, we'll be able to build mutual trust and good relationships with them," said Abdullah.
This meant when the police did approach a locked door, they didn't break it down. They knocked instead.
When a resident opened the door, the officers would greet them and explain their intention to search the house for illegal weapons. While the search was taking place, the resident was allowed to observe the officers.
"We asked many civilians to support us and provide us with any information that will be useful for us to stabilize their neighborhood," Abdullah said.
The police would hand the resident a business card with the tip line phone numbers on it.
If a weapon was found during the search, the police asked to see the resident's license for the weapon. If a license could not be produced, the weapon was confiscated and the resident would be given a receipt for the weapon. If the resident or his family is able to produce a valid license at a later time, the weapon will be returned.
This happened to a rifle belonging to an Iraqi army colonel, who was not home.
"The family told [the police] he was an Iraqi army colonel. [The family] didn't have the documentation on them at the time. The national police [later] confirmed that this gentleman was in the IA and returned the weapon to the family," said Capt. Ben Bridon, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., who serves as the operations officer for the Sayafiyah Battalion National Police Transition Team.
The day quickly fell into a routine; the officers searched houses, vehicles and fields. They followed their tips. The majority of the search was uneventful, except for one teenager who did not want to give up his AK-47.
"I honestly think he did something stupid," said Capt. Nicholas Moses, who serves as the commander of Battery A, 3rd Bn, 29th FA Regt.
As the police were working their way through the neighborhood, one family tried to hide their weapons by placing them in burlap bags and throwing them into a nearby orchard. One teenager in the family was spotted by the police running with an AK-47.
"If it had been another situation that could have been enough information, you see the man running with the weapon, to shoot him right on the spot," said Moses, a native of Oklahoma City, who talked to the young man's family when they came to plead for his release.
The police held their fire and took the young man into custody. Upon a search of the orchard, they found the other weapons.
Moses and his men did not get involved with the arrest; the national police took the teenager to their headquarters for further investigation.
"All peoples are innocent until they are incriminated by the judge or by the law," said Capt. Ali Flaih Hassan, the Sayafiyah Battalion's operations officer.
A total of 25 illegally owned AK-47s, one illegal sub-machine gun, four rifles and two pistols were confiscated. Upon further investigation, the teen was released.
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2008 14:22 |
| Story ID: | 27270 |
| Location: | IQ |
| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 254 |
This work, Iraqi National Police confiscate illegal weapons in Baghdad neighborhood, by MSG Jerry Saslav, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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