NASIRIYAH, Iraq -- Iraq's Police Force in Dhi Qar Province, also the first official Highway patrol in the new Iraq, through help of the Coalition, are the leading example of law enforcement.
"A national highway patrol system is being developed, with its headquarters in Baghdad, but until that gets set up, these individuals are the standard," said Col. Edward Willis, group commander, 115th Engineer Battalion. A combination of former police officers and new recruits, the force was trained to knock out criminal activity in Southern Iraq by 4th Platoon, 230th Military Police Company, 95th MP Bn, 16th MP Brigade, out of Manheim, Germany. "The MP's, who have seen the other IP [Iraqi Police] stations, think this one is the best organized, prepared and supported in the country and a model for how the Coalition should work with and support the IP effort," said Willis.
While training, a second focus was the lack of a decent headquarters for the Highway Patrol.
"We took a look at their [former] IP station, at that point we got together and extended our scope from a force protection piece to actually build a new place for Maj. Ali's men and his vehicles," said 1st Lt. Jacob Daylight, 95th MP Bn., who trained the men.Multi-National Corps Iraq donated funds to build a new station and train the force. "This station is the standard that everyone else is trying to get up to, and the men working in it serve as an example to other police forces," said Willis. "Hopefully, other IP's will see them and follow their example and work to enforce the law, oppose criminal bands, and act as a positive representation of the New Iraqi Government."
These IP's are led by Major Ali, a Nasiriyah local who has worked as an officer for more than a decade. Prior to leading the IP's, Ali studied at both a four year university, graduating in 1989, and then a three year military school, graduating in 1992. Since 1992, he has worked as a police officer in the Dhi Qar Province. "In the beginning, the MPs trained everyone here at the IP station for shooting, how to use a rifle, how to use physical training," said Ali. Officers were also trained in search tactics, how to use weapons, interrogation, and map reading, he said. "Our joint patrols, planned coordinate searches have been very successful."
According to Ali, additional issues IP's must deal with are threats from terrorists for doing police work. "They [criminals] may threaten our families, and try to kidnap them, but they will not affect our work," Ali said. "The main problem is the bad guys want to cause trouble for vehicles. They want to steal civilian and military vehicles."
"You must know that you will arrest many men, we took in consideration the risk of this job, and we have to do our job correctly," Ali said. "Our happiness here is when we help the poor and arrest the bad, so our life is better now."
"I have great respect for the Iraqi people and especially these brave officers who are willing to accept the risk of standing up to represent the rule of law in their country," said Maj. Dan Munger, 115th Engineer Bn. "I believe that the success of our mission here in this country is directly tied to our ability to help the Iraqis take charge of their own infrastructure and their own security," One law enforcement variation from the American norm is the existence of tribes, each headed by a sheik. "I always talk with the sheik leader of the tribe, to make relations better, I invite the sheik and take a promise from him," Ali said.
The largest change, Ali reflected, is the freedom to uphold the law, which was not the case during the regime of Saddam Hussein. According to Ali, when Saddam was in power, the area's police could not arrest lawbreakers for fear they were part of the Ba'athist party, or otherwise affiliated with the government. Even if criminals were guilty of breaking the law, arresting police officers were often killed or themselves imprisoned in retaliation for arresting the wrong person.
"Saddam made many mistakes against his people, and he made a bigger problem for arrests. There were many bad guys on the highway then, but we could do nothing," he said. By the time Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off, the area along the highway had developed a criminal economy. Many lives, equipment and supplies have been lost on this stretch of road, explained Willis. "Major Ali put his IP's on it, and they've had significant successes in arrests in highjackers on the road," he said.
Occasionally, Coalition Soldiers from nearby Tallil Army Air Base accompany the IP's on patrols. "In working with the IP's, we've had security patrols, to try to protect the convoys and people out there," said Willis. "But it is their operation." The American involvement consists primarily of training and funding. According to Ali, the Coalition provided everything, communication devices, new vehicles, a station and trained the IP's.
"I am very happy to go with American forces, I like discipline," said Ali. "We like to catch bad guys." Based on the successes with Ali's men, the newly born Highway Patrol system, and military justice in Iraq, can only multiply.