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02 November 2004

NATO Begins Training Iraqi Forces

Training course in Norway benefits high-level security personnel

NATO is conducting its first training course for Iraqi security personnel at its Joint Warfare Centre in Norway, part of the training mission the alliance took upon itself at its Istanbul Summit in June.

Nineteen mid-level and high-level officials from the Iraqi military and the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior are participating in headquarters-level training.

The eight-day course, which began November 1, focuses on operations management, crisis management, command and control of forces, and civil-military integration on both the national and international levels.

Following is a news release from NATO regarding the training course:

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First NATO Course for Iraq Underway in Norway

STAVANGER, Norway - Nineteen Iraqi security personnel are here at NATO's Joint Warfare Centre participating in the first training conducted outside of Iraq in support of the training mission announced by the Alliance at the Istanbul Summit in June.

The eight-day course, which started Monday, supports the training requested by the interim Iraqi government and has been tailored to meet the needs of mid- to high-ranking Iraqi security personnel.

"Our NATO facility is well placed to offer our Iraqi guests training that will be extremely relevant to the challenges and opportunities they face in rebuilding their country's security institutions," said the center's director, British Army Major-General James Short. The centre specializes in joint headquarters-level training.

The Iraqi participants range from senior military officers to civilian staff with Iraq's Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Interior. They were specially selected by Iraqi authorities as "key leaders" from within Iraq's security forces.

The course focuses on the function of an operational-level headquarters and includes instruction on crisis management, command and control of forces, the operational planning process, and integration of all aspects of civil-military cooperation, including liaison with the UN, Red Cross, and other international organizations.

"Our host nation, Norway, is providing excellent support to this training," said Major-General Short.

The training will serve as a pilot project for possible follow-on training at the Joint Warfare Centre and back in Iraq. The ultimate aim is to help Iraq develop its own training capability.

Through the NATO Training and Equipment Coordination Group, led by NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, the Alliance is coordinating Iraqi requests for further training by NATO or other organizations.

Tel: +32 (0)2 707 50 41
Fax: +32 (0)2 707 50 57
B-1110 Brussels/Bruxelles

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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