Baghdad Needs 10,000 More Policemen - U.S. General

[wicket]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041019/wl_nm/iraq_police_dc

The U.S. general in charge of Baghdad said Tuesday it would be at least another eight months before the Iraqi capital had enough police, contradicting previous U.S. claims that numbers were sufficient. Maj. Gen. Pete Chiarelli, whose 1st Cavalry Division is responsible for security in Baghdad and its suburbs -- an area of about six million people -- said there were currently about 15,000 people working for the capital's force.

"We're about 10,000 short of what we need," he told reporters. "But by next spring, or early next summer, we'll be right where we need to be."

He said recruitment to the police force was strong despite almost daily suicide car bombings on recruitment posts in Baghdad and elsewhere. More than 1,000 police and recruits have been killed in bombs and shootings over the past year.

Chiarelli's timeframe may raise questions about whether Baghdad will have enough police to help provide security for the country's elections in January -- the biggest security test the interim Iraqi government faces.

-snip-

The huge shortfall of police in Baghdad is particularly remarkable because U.S. authorities repeatedly claimed ahead of the handover of power in June that numbers were sufficient.
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[RobertSeattle]

1. I've got one to volunteer - former cop - he's got his hand up in the pic..

[Career Prole]

3. I see two guys with their hands up! Hooray

for volunteerism! :D

[tabasco]

2. Bush said 100,000 Iraqi police had been trained.

Golly gee - that's ten times what the general needs ! The general just needs to call Bush and ask him where all those Iraqi police are. PROBLEM SOLVED !

[wicket]

4. Bush was of course, lying

The real number is closer to 5000 trained. Bush is such a lying jackass! :grr:

[Supersedeas]

5. but but but but * said in the debates that Kerry did not know what he's

talking about

[daleo]

6. 15000 police for six million people in a civil war zone

That's about 1 for every 400 people. If you assume about 5% of the population is in the resistance that is about 1 for every 20 resistance fighters. Without the support of the remaining population (which seems doubtful) this will never work.

[wicket]

7. the mismanagement of this war is staggering

...but not surprising considering who's running the war and planning.