Posted on 11/15/2008 9:42:27 AM PST by SandRat
FOB DELTA — For Iraqi Polic (IP) in Wasit province, the transition to full provincial Iraqi control (PIC) Oct. 29 was not a dramatic change, as they had taken the lead in security operations several months prior to the event.
“After the problems in March, Iraqi security forces (ISF) stepped up to take control of their destiny in [Wasit] province,” said Maj. Gen. Abd al-Hanen Hammood Faisal, provincial director of police, referring to an uprising by Shi’a militias in late March. “Since then, the primary role of Coalition forces (CF) has been advising, training and providing information to the ISF.”
“I knew PIC was inevitable while I was here, so we wanted to put more and more responsibility on the ISF and less on CF,” said Col. Richard Francey, 41st Fires Brigade commander and commander of CF in Wasit. “Day by day, we transferred security from CF to ISF, so when we got to PIC, day to day actions didn’t change much. From Oct. 28 to Oct. 30, there should be very little apparent change.”
Coalition forces are still providing advice, training and support to Wasit’s ISF, said Capt. Hayder Adnan Ali Al-Saedy, of the IP. “They provide the training and advice we still need. We need to continue to build our skills.”
“The Americans and the Iraqis are a team,” he added. “As the Iraqi forces gain experience, the Coalition forces will have less of a presence.”
One significant achievement for the IP, with the increased security, has been the community’s increased confidence in the Police’s ability to do their job, said Haneen. “They are happy to see their sons in the ISF doing joint missions, providing security to Wasit province.”
“We have a good relationship with the people of our district,” said Capt. Al Fukar, commander of al Kut’s Falahea IP station. “That didn’t change with PIC. They want to help us. The people don’t want to go back to the militias. They want peace.”
“Honestly, it’s a good situation now,” Fukar added. “We don’t depend on it, though. There’s still work to be done, still bad guys to find. We want to work to continue to build stability in our district.”
That relationship, and the assistance of the populace, is critical for continued stability in Wasit province, said Francey.
“We are in a fragile time in the future of Iraq,” he said. “Day-to-day operations rely more and more on the Iraqi on the street to testify against bad people so those bad people may be put in jail and kept in jail.
“The days of an oppressive society are behind us, and we must protect against a return to those days while maintaining a secure and stable environment,” Francey added. “To do this, we need a strong security force and an honest and just judiciary, and the bridge between the two is an honest and brave populace who will step forward and speak against those who do wrong.”
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