Ministry of Interior
Iraq is currently administered by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Three decades of war and government mismanagement have stunted Iraq's economy, leading to increased crime and poverty. Infrastructure is antiquated. Conditions in Iraq are extremely dangerous.
A person seeking entry to Iraq must appear before an authorized officer of the CPA at a port of entry, border control station, or at any place designated by the Senior Advisor of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the Interim Minister of the Interior, for examination to determine whether the person may be granted entry to Iraq. Officers issue permits valid for up to 90 days, which may be renewed at CPA offices in Iraq. Permits will eventually be issued by Iraqi missions abroad. In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.
The Ministry of Interior consists of two government institutions; the Police and the municipal branches. The Ministry wants to bring these institutions back with the Iraqi people who formerly worked there before the war.
After initial looting throughout Iraq following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime, a return of law enforcement in Iraq was one of the top ORHA priorities. The then head of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, Gen. Jay Garner initially called over Baghdad radio for all policemen to return to duty on May 4, 2003. Still outstanding issues concerned how to get the policemen back to work fast; how to decide which of the police organizations were too tainted by the previous regime to reconstitute; and the perceived need for a new policing ethics, ie respecting human rights and guaranteeing openness and accountability.
As of mid-May 2003, emergency payments of $20 were being made to pay for the Police Foce in Baghdad.
Iraq's first post-Saddam Hussein cabinet was sworn in on 03 September 2003. The 25-member cabinet was named by the Iraqi Governing Council. The cabinet appointments are divided among the country's various ethnic and religious communities. The post of interior minister was held by another Shi'ite, Nuri al-Badran, who was tasked with the gradual takeover of security matters from U.S.-led forces.
On 04 April 2004 Iraq's Interior Minister, Nouri al-Badran, announced his resignation, saying he had heard the US-led administration was unhappy with his performance and wanted a different religious mix in the cabinet. Al-Badran, a Shi'ite Muslim, told reporters he had been told the US-led administration believes the defense minister and interior minister should not both be Shi'ite. A new defense minister's position was recently filled by a Shi'ite official. There was no immediate comment from the US-led administration. Al-Badran's announcement came as fighting continued in various cities in Iraq.
On 09 April 2004 Ambassador Bremer met with the Iraqi Ministerial Committee on National Security, during which they addressed a number of issues, not the least of which was the appointment of the new Iraqi Interior minister and the appointment of Iraq's national security adviser. Following consultation with the Iraqi Governing Council, Ambassador Bremer named Mr. Samir Shakir Mahmoud el-Sumaidy [Samir Shaker Mahmoud al-Sumeidi], a Sunni Muslim businessman on the Governing Council, the new minister of Interior.
On 01 June 2004 Falah Hassan was named the new Interior Minister. A Sunni, he had been a member of Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress in exile, but later joined the Iraqi National Movement, a Sunni-dominated group.
