State Department Recruits U.S. Cops for Iraq

[Dusty]

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/20...s-police-iraq#

Both active and retired U.S. law enforcement officers could soon be serving in new a jurisdiction - Iraq.

The State Department announced Thursday that the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs met last week with local and state law enforcement offices to discuss opportunities available in Iraq this fall. The bureau hopes to build a team of senior level and expert advisers to serve one-year missions there.

The U.S. government will assume full responsibility for the development of Iraq's police and border forces beginning October 1, partnering with the Iraqi government to develop management, leadership and technical skill to support the rule of law and maintain Iraq's internal security.

The announcement comes on a day when an Iraqi government official says twin-bombings killed six policemen and wounded at least 22 people in western Iraq.

A roadside bomb exploded Thursday evening in downtown Ramadi, the region's Sunni-dominated capital. Minutes later, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed vest among the crow of police and bystanders responding to the first blast.

[Sigaba]

Does the State Department's timetable reflect a realistic set of assumptions?

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

Does the State Department's timetable reflect a realistic set of assumptions?

There's a first time for everything.

[Peregrino]

I wouldn't bet on the State Dept having a plan.

U.S. inspector general calls for halt in funding $26 million Iraqi academy
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 25, 2011; 8:43 PM

A top U.S. oversight office has recommended that the United States halt further funding for a $26 million education academy for senior Iraqi security officials after discovering that the Iraqi government had never agreed to operate or maintain the facility.

The United States has spent more than $13 million on the project.

"At this point, it is unclear if the GOI [Government of Iraq] will budget for the operations and maintenance of the IIA [Iraqi International Academy] upon completion," said Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, in a report sent to the Central Command's Gen. James N. Mattis and released Tuesday. "Without such an agreement, U.S. funds spent on construction are at risk of being wasted, as are the funds planned to equip and furnish the facility," Bowen added.
Bowen said in the report that his organization has repeatedly noted the necessity of getting Iraq to "buy-in as an essential element to a project's long-term success." He recalled as an example that in the $35.5 million project to create an economic zone at Baghdad International Airport, 24 projects costing about $16 million were not being maintained or used.

The inspector general's report found that the U.S. military training mission, which developed the project, never raised with the Iraqi government its responsibility to operate the facility. And although Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in 2009 authorized his defense ministry to pay money to move families out of the buildings that were to become the academy, his government had never agreed to take over its operation.

Meanwhile, the United States has paid out $13.4 million to a construction contractor who has developed a campus that includes three classroom buildings, an administrative office building, a dining facility, housing for almost 200 people, and "a state-of-the-art student center with a large auditorium, coffee shop, library and research center," according to the report.

In addition, the original plan for an English language institute to train Iraqi personnel in the defense and interior ministries grew to become an institute that offered courses on security studies and public administration, along with English. It also grew international in stature by including as students some military and government officials from neighboring countries.

Bowen's investigators interviewed Iraqi defense ministry officials and found "as one official stated, he simply assumed the United States would fund the operations . . . for at least one year." In addition, the investigators discovered the U.S. side had never provided Iraqis with estimates on the size and cost of any proposed faculty, or expenses for maintaining the facilities, or the equipment that the U.S. would supply.

Back in 2009, the report said, the original idea was that the U.S. State and Defense departments would work "in collaboration" with the Iraqi government to fund the English language institute. There was never any commitment that the Iraqis would fund the larger academy, nor did the Maliki government ever identify a ministry that would take on that responsibility.

Without any bilateral agreement, Bowen recommended that the United States not pay out the remaining $12 million set aside to provide furnishing and equipment for the academy.
He also said U.S. officials should inform the Iraqi government "that it is their responsibility" to purchase such equipment. By doing so, Bowen added, the Iraqis "would be more likely to guard and use the items rather than removing or not using them as they have done in the past with U.S.-purchased equipment."

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Peregrino

I wouldn't bet on the State Dept having a plan.

The inspector general's report found that the U.S. military training mission, which developed the project, never raised with the Iraqi government its responsibility to operate the facility. And although Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in 2009 authorized his defense ministry to pay money to move families out of the buildings that were to become the academy, his government had never agreed to take over its operation.

Who'd they think was going to operate it?

[Guy]

He also said U.S. officials should inform the Iraqi government "that it is their responsibility" to purchase such equipment. By doing so, Bowen added, the Iraqis "would be more likely to guard and use the items rather than removing or not using them as they have done in the past with U.S.-purchased equipment."

They would pillage & steal the stuff faster than a hungry fat baby with a donut.

Stay safe.

[SMP9168]

Originally Posted by Dusty

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/20...s-police-iraq#


The U.S. government will assume full responsibility for the development of Iraq's police and border forces beginning October 1, partnering with the Iraqi government to develop management, leadership and technical skill to support the rule of law and maintain Iraq's internal security.

So what have all the US police officers working for Dyncorp been doing there all these years?

[busa]

We have been doing as instructed by our “superiors”.

Here is where it all started to go wrong IMHO:

From my perspective, it is mismanagement pure and simple. I worked three of the last six years in Iraq for Dyn Corp.

When Dyn started the mission they sent over a group of mostly under experienced people who had BS’d their way through the PAST class. Once in country they essentially promoted themselves to management and protected each other as more and more cops arrived. None of this original group would have been management material in any department with more than 50 officers, some had NO experience in their area of “expertise” IE: one was a prison guard in charge of training Iraqi street police.

I am not bashing small town officers, some of the best I had the privilege to work with were from small towns, however they had not had the exposure to all witch was needed to lead this type of mission. As another example one of these folks was a Major at his police department however what he didn’t tell anyone was there were no Lt’s or Captains in his department. Another was the Under Sheriff at a two man department (I am not joking). They would intentionally deceive you through omission of information.

Once these folks had control of Baghdad they would take anyone they saw as possible competition and ship them to the outlaying areas to hide their skill sets, and to protect themselves.

In the group of officers which I shipped in with we had a former SF Captain (I am sure many of you know him, one of the most intelligent and honorable men I have ever met). He was sent to Mosul in Sept of 2004 so he would be as far away from the flagpole as possible. He should have been in charge of the whole mission!

This type of leadership continued through most of the time I was there 2004-2005 and then again 2007-2009. It appears now they are trying to correct some of these issues, by requiring more time in grade from larger departments.
That is just one issue, there were many more such as Police corruption, laziness and lack of education of the “Shurta” (street cops). I spent my last year teaching at the Kurdish Police College in Sulaymaniyah and that was very inspiring to myself, they took their oath seriously and looked to be true leaders capable of doing the job correctly, but then again it was in Kurdistan.

Just my 2 cents…

In full disclosure I have never applied for any leadership position, I wanted to work with cops on the streets.

[dr. mabuse]

*

[busa]

Originally Posted by dr. mabuse

Busa, have a friend that was a former SRT member here that worked for Dyn for the past 3 years in A'stan and another that's a recruiter for them that echoed some of the same concerns.

How do you get away from politics and BS? It seems to be everywhere.

I will say this, my last post does come off too negatively, Dyn has some great guys who are very, very qualified folks, however the “Good Ole Boy” system was so prevalent it was overwhelming.

The good news is those three years were the best three years of my life, the most life defining time of my life and I wouldn’t trade those years the 24 I spent with my old department, for one single reason.

I have never had a better, more rewarding time in my life than working with the men and women of the US Army, period. And the only reason I don’t list the other forces is I was not blessed to have worked with them. I love them (in a good, manly way)!