BAGHDAD - A celebration commemorating the formation of the Iraqi Police forces was conducted at the Baghdad Police College Jan. 8. The ceremony included several graduations; the commissioning of 1,220 officers from cycle 21 of the nine-month Officer College, which included 81 female officers.
With the support of the Ministry of Interior and several thousand Iraqi volunteers, the 89th MoI Iraqi Police Day celebration was a big success, said Baghdad Police College Dean Maj. Gen. Riyadh AbdulBaki Salman, who oversaw a large portion of the preparation for the event.
United States Forces-Iraq continues to maintain a commitment to the people of Iraq through continued efforts to assist Iraqi Police forces as they continue to rebuild and provide for the security of the Iraqi people.
Several MoI and United States Forces-Iraq leaders were among the dignitaries attending the event, which included Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and United States Forces-Iraq Commanding General U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin. During the ceremony members of Iraq’s police services marched across the BPC’s parade field rendering salutes and chanting “Long, live Iraq!”
The ceremony also included cultural ceremonial dances, tributes to the longest-serving members of the police force and several demonstrations by graduates of the Baghdad Police College.