Police recruiting blitz finds Iraqis eager

Iraqi police recruits stand in line during an all-day screening. Coalition forces are trying to help Iraq's Ministry of Interior hire thousands of new police for Baghdad in hopes of putting many of them in place before the U.S. military "surge" in forces leave early next year.


Police recruiting blitz finds Iraqis eager
By Scott Schonauer, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, November 10, 2007


Iraqi men answering the call to become police officers sat for hours in the dust and sun waiting their turn. On what American soldiers called “Recruitment Day,” hundreds of potential recruits then went through a battery of tests to see if they had what it takes to carry a badge in Baghdad.

While a few showed off some impressive athletic skills during the fitness exam, many struggled to do a single push-up and most couldn’t lift their chin over the bar for an official chin-up.

No matter.

The Iraqi government and coalition forces are on a recruiting blitz for police officers in hopes of hiring thousands to fill the ranks. The goal is to put the new cops on the streets by the time President Bush’s “surge” of American troops in Baghdad ends.

While violence is down across the country, the prospects of that trend continuing and becoming more permanent in this sprawling metropolis could hinge on the effectiveness of its fledgling police force.

The Iraqi Police commander in the city’s East Rashid area said law and order is improving, but he needs to add 1,500 new officers to the 700-member force.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50166