Pat Dollard | Young Americans

TAJI — More than 1,000 Iraqi men recently converged on the Boob Al Sham Police Station in hopes of gaining one of the 150 new openings in the Boob Al Sham police force.

It was all the Iraqi policemen – even with help from Soldiers of the 543rd Military Police Company – could do to keep the surging crowd organized. The policeman-hopefuls held up their proof of Iraqi citizenship, clamoring to be chosen from the many other applicants.

Similar scenes are happening all over Baghdad province as Iraqi police move to increase their numbers by 7,000 in the province that includes the Iraqi capitol of Baghdad. The increase in police is being called The Baghdad Way Ahead Plan, and each city in Baghdad province is scheduled to receive new policeman, with the number of police based on population size.

Al Zahour District, directly north of Baghdad, is one of the first districts to recruit new law enforcement, and 9,000 Iraqi men rushed to their local police stations to apply for the 860 new openings in the district.

“The plan will significantly increase the number of police on the street in Baghdad province,” explained Maj. Thomas Rider, provost marshal for the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, which is responsible for the battle space in northern Baghdad province. “If all goes as planned, these police should be patrolling their neighborhoods by March of 2008. The security situation in Al Zahour has improved quite a bit in the last two months due in a large part to the local police going out into the civilian population and gaining credibility with them. The increase in police should allow this security process to accelerate.”

Rider noted that after Baghdad province increases its number of IPs, other Iraqi provinces are scheduled to do the same.

Leaders from the 4-2 SBCT recently sat down with Iraqi police leaders in the brigade’s conference room to strategize how to ensure that the best possible recruits are chosen to join the force.

“I’m concerned about the possibility of extremists infiltrating into the recruiting process,” 4-2 SBCT commander Col. Jon Lehr said to Brig. Gen Abed Al Hameed, commander of the east Baghdad police directorate. “How do we keep that from happening?”

Hameed answered by explaining the IP selection process, which includes making sure all the applicants are Iraqi citizens and that they do not have a police record.

Lt. Col. John Drago, commander of 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, had questions for Hameed concerning the Iraqi city of Rashidiyah. The Soldiers of 2-12 FA, with help from Col. Ali Husayn Nema, Al Zahour district police chief, are currently training a group of concerned local citizens to provide security for Rashidiyah.

Drago wanted to know if that security force, which is paid by Coalition forces, could be considered first for the 200 new IP positions that will soon open in Rashidiyah.

The security force personnel are purposely paid less than IPs, to encourage them to want to join the police force. There are also more paid security personnel than new IP slots, which encourages healthy competition between the concerned citizens for the new IP positions, according to Drago.

Hameed, through a translator, assured Drago that the Rashidiyah security personnel would be considered first for the new IP positions.

Lehr also stressed the need for the new recruits to be nationalists, putting their sectarian differences aside for the good of Iraq.

Hameed replied to Lehr’s comment with, “People who work for the Iraqi Army and police, their loyalty should not reside with their religion or tribe, but with Iraq itself.”

Hameed assured the brigade leadership that any IP who participates in sectarian violence will be arrested.

Lehr was also concerned about security for the new cadets who will have to travel to Baghdad to receive training.

Hameed said he would work with Coalition forces to ensure the cadets’ safety.

Lehr also asked about equipping the new policemen, to which Hameed replied that he would personally see to it that all new police had uniforms, weapons and body armor.

“I’m very optimistic,” Hameed said toward the end of the meeting. “The situation in the last two months has greatly improved. The number of violent acts has decreased. If this continues through the next six months, the security situation will improve dramatically. “

“The importance of the Iraqi police is huge,” Lehr said after the meeting. “The natural cycle of a counterinsurgency fight is a transition from fighting insurgents to apprehending criminals, and that evolution hinges on Iraqi police. They not only provide law and order, but also help the Iraqi economy. Economically it is very important to give legitimacy to 17-35 year old males. Military age males (MAM) have a choice between getting a legitimate job or being part of the insurgency, so it is important to give these MAMs a sense of pride and worth that they are doing something noble and something legitimate to help their country.”

“The whole development of the Iraqi security forces is a huge part of our strategy in Iraq,” Lehr continued. “The sooner we get the Iraqi security forces up and running, the sooner they can take over.”