04 February 2005
Iraqi Security Forces Provided Major Security During Elections
Petraeus says 136,000 Iraqi security forces trained, equipped
Washington -- Iraqi security forces -- providing double security rings around polling places across that nation -- prevented terrorists and insurgents from disrupting national elections January 30, says the American general responsible for training those forces.
"It was Iraqi police and soldiers who gave their lives to prevent several suicide-vest bombers from blowing up large numbers of those standing in line to vote," Lieutenant General David Petraeus said February 4. "Some 5,200 polling sites were secured with two rings of Iraqi security personnel."
Petraeus said the backup coalition forces helped, but the primary responsibility for voter security fell to the Iraqis.
During a briefing transmitted from Baghdad, Petraeus said there are currently 136,000 trained and equipped Iraqi security forces that have completed training required by their commands. The levels of training for the security personnel vary, depending on the units' missions and requirements, he said.
Of the 136,000 security personnel, Petraeus said 79,000 are from the Ministry of Interior -- comprising police, special police commando battalions, public order battalions, and related units. He said 57,000 security personnel are from the Ministry of Defense, which includes the regular army, intervention battalions, National Guard units, special operations forces, air force squadrons, naval elements and a marine regiment.
Petraeus, who commands the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq, said his command also focuses on the number of operational combat battalions that can provide security and fight the insurgency.
"There are now 90 battalions, as of today, that have completed training. Eighty-eight are already conducting operations, and the two regular army battalions that graduated [February 3] will commence operations in the next two weeks," he said.
Many of the units are still being fully manned and receiving required equipment, he said.
"However, there has been no shortage of volunteers, and the over-3,500 replacements who will complete training in the next week will help bring the average strength of the 90 battalions to well over 80 percent," Petraeus said.
His command also is increasing the number of advisers conducting training programs, drawing them from active coalition forces, he said.
Petraeus said that since training began there have been adjustments to reflect the operational environment the units find when deployed.
"Police training, for example, now includes much more time spent on skills associated with operations in an insurgent environment," he said.
In terms of capability to carry out assigned missions, Petraeus said that Iraqi security forces in nine southern provinces and in three Kurdish provinces, which are 12 of 18 provinces in the country, have assumed assigned security duties.
"They are the ones out front," he said. "If you look at how much we had in terms of [coalition] forces in Najaf back in August and September and look at it now, it's a greatly reduced number" of forces that have to provide security. "It's Iraqi police and National Guard forces that are shouldering the tasks there."
The text of Petraeus' briefing can be found on the Internet at http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2005/tr20050204-2083.html.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=February&x=20050204174048dmslahrellek0.9266168&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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