Insurgents infiltrate Iraqi security

[Barrett808]

Insurgents infiltrate Iraqi security
By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Published June 20, 2005

BAGHDAD -- Iraq's new security services remain heavily infiltrated by insurgent agents, senior Baghdad officials admit to Newsweek magazine.

Iraqi's Sunni insurgents' still enjoy a vast network of infiltrators, spies and recruiters, Newsweek reported Monday.

Intelligence officials in Baghdad told Newsweek that Iraq's security services have hundreds of "ghost soldiers"-members who vanish, sometimes for months on end, but continue to draw their pay. The fear is that they are working for the insurgency while keeping up their ties in uniform.

As pressure grew to build significant Iraqi forces fast, some doubtful characters seem to have slipped through the cracks, the magazine said. Gaps in the process were quickly exploited in a strategic campaign of infiltration by the insurgency, it said.

Some 176 Iraqi police officers were found to have terrorist connections in the past two weeks, Newsweek said. "(Some of) their fingerprints were found on bomb debris examined by specialists," one official told the magazine.

Iraq's Security Minister Abdul Karim al-Inizi told Newsweek the ones who got caught were only a fraction of the total number of infiltrators.

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050620-031903-3198r

[justinsb]

1. Shouldn't be hard to do

I saw some Iraqi police being patched up on the news today, I don't think they are signing up for the love of freedom and democracy, I think they are signing up because it's the only way they can get food for their families. My guess is that they're not screening applicants too carefully.

[Frederik]

4. If a recent story in the Wash Post is to be believed

...which was written by journalistst who had actually spent some time with the Iraqi soldiers, they hate themselves for betraying their country by working for the occupation, but there are no other jobs to get. The idea that they will soon be ready to provide "security" for the gocernment on their own is horseshit.

[Terran1212]

5. 40-60% of iraqi public sector "unneeded" - new iraqi govt

That's what one of the iraqi union leaders I saw talk saturday said.

I guess their strategy is to end food rations and lay people off so they HAVE to join the military and help defend the US mission.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. "still enjoy a vast network of infiltrators"

They are in the throes of enjoying a vast network now?

"Let freedom reign"

[geek tragedy]

3. This is news? nt

[leftchick]

6. a bombing today by an infiltrator....

and several last week. It is only going to get worse as the rebels get better and find more recruits.

[stillcool]

7. ....some doubtful characters Slipped Through.....?

The Cracks?.....how bout drove a mack truck through? I almost can't stand it anymore. Its like your required to wear waders while even reading the news...forget the tube...I'd drown in that crap!

[snickersnee]

8. the obvious solution...

is to train more iraqis to fight for themselves, so the troops can come home!

...oh wait, whose team are they on again?

:nuke: