American Cops Teaching Iraqi Police

Transcription

1 Telling the MND-Baghdad Story Monday, August 27, 2007 American Cops Teaching Iraqi Police By Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th MPAD BAGHDAD They wear matching body armor, ride in the same uparmored humvees and load identical 5.56-millimeter ball ammunition into M-4 rifles. They are not Soldiers serving in the United States Army; they are seasoned American police officers working the unforgiving Baghdad beat. But the beat for these cops bears little resemblance to the relatively benign duties of policing U.S. cities. In fact, (Photo by Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th MPAD) Pasadena, Texas, native Clint Jones, an International Police Advisor, demonstrates the proper technique for entering a building to Iraqi Policemen from Baghdad s Kharada District during the first Primary Leadership Development Course for Iraqi Police on Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah in eastern Baghdad Aug. 20. Soldiers from 759th Military Police Battalion, 89th MP Brigade coordinated the training, which allows the Iraqi Police to learn from experienced American law enforcement professionals. the duties of an International Police Advisor (IPA) are comparable to those of military policeman in the U.S. Army, said Kinston, N.C., native Billy Hedgepeth, an IPA on Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah in eastern Baghdad. Far from cake duty, the only difference is I have longer hair and a goatee, Hedgepeth said, comparing himself to his military co-workers. The challenge facing IPAs, like Hedgepeth, is to impart the wisdom of decades on the job to the relatively inexperienced Iraqi policemen, or shurta in Arabic, working to provide residents of Iraq s capital greater security. To this end, approximately 25 IPAs are stationed on FOB Rustamiyah, teaching the fundamentals of police work to shurtas from Baghdad s Kharada district. The shurtas are there as part of a four-day crash course in leadership and law enforcement tactics. This was the first iteration of the Iraqi Police Primary Leadership Development Course, which the 759th Military Police Battalion, out of Fort Carson, Colo., coordinated. Eight officers and 10 noncommissioned officers received certificates of completion after the final day of training, which concluded with a live-fire range Aug. 23. Designed to introduce western policing Ameriya Leaders Establish Trash Collection Program Sgt. Jack Androski 1-5 Cav. Regt. BAGHDAD Multi- National Division- Soldiers are working with a local Sheik from the western Ameriya neighborhood to improve community development initiatives. The Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, have worked diligently over the past 10 months to disrupt al- Qaeda s presence in Ameriya. As al-qaeda s influence diminishes in the Sunni neighborhood the work to improve community relations has become a major priority. Sheik Muthana, a popular community leader in Ameriya, has been a key player in this enterprise. With his help, Coalition Forces have utilized specific economic development See Police Page 3 programs to employ dozens of local citizens in order to create a trash collection program throughout the neighborhood. The program began in mid-august when an agreement was reached with Sheik Muthana and a local contractor from Ameriya.

2 News Page 2 August 27, 2007 Baghdad in Brief Bomb Detonates Near Kadamiyah Shrine MND-B Public Affairs BAGHDAD At approximately noon, five Iraqi civilians were killed and 27 others wounded when a car bomb detonated at a busy intersection near the Kadamiyah Shrine in northern Baghdad, Aug. 25. Iraqi Army soldiers and Iraq emergency service workers responded to the scene, providing security and aid to the injured. A patrol from the 1st Battalion, 235th Airborne Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, also arrived at the blast site and questioned Iraqi Army personnel and civilians in the area. Iraqi Army troops concluded the explosion was caused from an improvised explosive devise placed underneath a vehicle parked in the area. Several Iraqi civilian vehicles and vendor s stand were destroyed from the blast. The wounded were transported to a local hospital for treatment. New Sewer System Improves Life By Norris Jones Gulf Region Division Central BAGHDAD, Iraq Raw sewage is no longer inundating a neighborhood in east Baghdad. Residents in Oubadi, located near Sadr City, are benefiting from a recently completed $14.9 million Gulf Region South district project that connected their homes for the first time ever to a new functioning sewer collection system. People there are very pleased with the improvement, said Iraqi engineer Mustafa Haddad who works for the GRS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For over two years we ve been working on this project and the community has been very supportive throughout. They were using slit trenches and lakes of raw sewage, which presented a definite health hazard. About 80,000 residents were positively impacted by this project. They appreciate our efforts and are seeking help with other community improvements. We re currently working on a new $1.3 million water network project there it is 50 percent finished and will ensure they have better access to fresh potable water. Haddad is the Deputy Resident Engineer of USACE s Loyalty Office located south of Sadr City. Over 20 Iraqi engineers work out of the office overseeing over $125 million in infrastructure improvements in east Baghdad, from school and hospital renovations, electric network upgrades, road paving, and new water treatment facilities. Haddad has put up with mortars, one of his fellow Iraqi engineers was gunned down after visiting a school project, other office workers have been injured, and he personally has been targeted by insurgents and had to move his family to a different area. We re here because we know how important this work is for our country and our people. Yes, it s a difficult time. But those in need are looking for help and we re going to continue to do everything we can to offer it to them, he said. Their streets are now dry and clean. They see their government is working and things are getting better, said Haddad. The 29-year-old earned a Bachelor s degree in civil engineering from Baghdad s University of Technology. My family worries about me and the dangers I face. But they understand how important this work is. We need to keep making things better and someday soon Iraq will turn the corner. Arabic Phrase of the Day mirhaaz Defined: lavatory Iraq 3-Day Weather Report Today High: 114 Low: 85 Tomorrow High: 115 Low: 86 Wednesday High: 116 Low: 85 Commanding General: Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil, Jr. Public Affairs Officer: Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl Command Information Supervisor: Master Sgt. Dave Larsen Senior Editor: Sgt. Nicole Kojetin Editor: Spc. William Hatton Staff Writers: Spc. Jeffrey Ledesma, Spc. L.B. Edgar, Spc. Shea Butler, and Spc. Ben Gable Contributing Writers: Sgt. Jack Androski, Sgt. Mike Pryor, Sgt. Nathan Ritzo, Norris Jones, Contact the Daily Charge at VOIP , DSN or e- mail david.j.larsen@mnd-b.army.mil. The Daily Charge is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. Army. Contents of the Daily Charge are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army or the 1st Cavalry Division. All editorial content of the Daily Charge is prepared, edited, provided and approved by1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs Office.

3 Page 3 News August 27, 2007 Iraqi Police Learning to Serve & Protect Police From Page 1 methods to the Iraqi policemen, the course was a mixture of lecture, discussion and practical exercises. Presentations in Arabic and English were given to the shurtas dressed in blue shirts with white stars and birds on the shoulders. The shurtas took copious notes and shared examples of life on the Baghdad beat. The training refined the shurtas skills and added to their repertoire of policing techniques. The classroom portion was primarily discussion, allowing students to provide feedback, said Macon, Ga., native and IPA instructor Tony Crews. For the officers, leadership was the focus. What makes you a leader? Crews asked the shurtas. Once they provided their definitions through an interpreter, Crews said. Leadership is the ability to make other people do what you want them to do, he said, adding it is just as much science as an art form. Crews and his fellow instructor, and Macon Ga., native, Chuck Reynolds, taught the shurtas six styles of leadership: autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, situational, transformational and charismatic. You will have to decide which style works best for you, Crews said, emphasizing success was not all based on a leader s choice of style. Your success as a leader depends on the people you lead. Improving leadership is important to the success of all Iraqi Security Forces, especially since authoritarian management was so engrained in the Iraqi culture. In some cases, an arrest requires approval from a colonel, said Reynolds, a police officer with 31 years experience. Consequently, delegation of authority to subordinates was stressed throughout the course. It s impossible for one person to manage 200 to 300 people, Reynolds said. Every decision needs to be made at the lowest level possible. Gaining the public trust is a major step for the Iraqi police force, said IPA Manuel Santos, a native of Alamogordo, N.M. We are the first line of the government, he said. We must maintain a high moral standard. Thus, the onus of the training was placed on the decisionmaking process, so the shurtas are better prepared to act in the absence of authority, Crews explained. As police officers you dedicated yourself to serve the community, said Crews, a police officer with 33 years of experience. You can t let your personal feelings dictate what you do. At times down the road, Crews said, the shurtas would be tested and therefore needed to maintain a courageous calm in the face of scorn and ridicule. Likewise, sectarian discourse was a major concern in a police force where religious and tribal ties often supersede allegiance to the government of Iraq. Whatever your beliefs are or are not, that should not affect your job, Reynolds said. We don t ask. We don t care, echoed Santos, about the religious beliefs of police in the states. In addition to instruction in An Iraqi Police officer searches through a pile of pens for the only red one during a communication exercise as part of the first Primary Leadership Development Course for Iraqi Police on Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah in eastern Baghdad Aug. 20. western leadership and ethics, the shurtas also received more practical instruction in proper building entry, said Santos, a police officer with more than 20 years of experience. We try to teach in a way they can use (the techniques) in their jobs, Santos said. The IPAs demonstrated the proper technique before having each Shurta perform the task under supervision. The same (Photo by Spc. L.B. Edgar, 7th MPAD) techniques used by U.S. law enforcement agents were taught. I challenge you to teach this to your men and I challenge you to find solutions to your tactical problems on your own. You men have the experience and the rank to make these things happen, Santos encouraged the shurtas. Your men are only going to know how to do it if you train them.

4 Page 4 Feature August 27, 2007 Soldiers Come Bearing Food & Supplies for Visits with Adhamiyah Residents By Sgt. Mike Pryor 2-82 Abn. Div. Public Affairs BAGHDAD Other than the fact that he is heavily armed, dressed in body armor, and flanked by several Soldiers, 1st Lt. John Gassmann shows up at Ahmad Ali s doorstep just like any friendly new neighbor. He even brought a gift. We re just going through the neighborhood introducing ourselves, seeing if there are any problems, and seeing if there s anything we can do to help, Gassmann tells Ali conversationally, as his Soldiers carry bags of rice, flour, and beans into the house. Gassman s unit, Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, is responsible for security in a poor section of Baghdad s Adhamiyah District. For the Soldiers in Gassman s platoon, that means earning the trust and confidence of the local people through daily engagement patrols. The bottom line is, we can drive through this neighborhood three times a day for a year, but if we don t stop to talk to anyone, we ll never know anything about it, Gassmann said. So, instead of cruising the streets in an armored humvee, the Riley, Kan., native spends most of his time inside residents living rooms, sipping tea and talking. Lately, Gassmann s platoon has also been handing out humanitarian aid bags containing rice, salt, cooking oil, and other common foodstuffs at each house they visit. The bags are a lifeline for some of the poorer families in the area, but they re also a gesture of goodwill on the part of the Soldiers. Having armed men show up on your doorstep unannounced regardless of the reason - can be a little stressful, Gassmann said, so the aid bags are one way the Soldiers can show they mean no harm. It puts them a little more at ease and lets them know we re here to help, he said. The platoon handed out around 50 of the bags during a joint patrol Aug. 21. At house after house, the routine was the same. The Soldiers conducted a quick search, then brought the food in as Gassmann sat down with the owners to discuss any concerns they might have. The conversations always ended with Gassmann offering them a card with his contact information. If you ever need anything just give me a call, Gassmann told one family. We ll help you in any way that we can. The point, he said, wasn t necessarily to leave each house with specific information about insurgents. It was to lay the (Photo by Sgt. Mike Pryor, 2-82 Abn. Div. Public Affairs) Norfolk, Va., native Spc. Shannon Guinn, of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, carries a bag of humanitarian assistance foodstuffs into a house in a neighborhood in Baghdad s Adhamiyah District during a patrol Aug. 21. groundwork for a relationship that might pay off in the future. What we re really trying to do is build a trust between us and the people in the area, Gassmann said.

5 Page 5 Community August 27, 2007 Conference Focuses on Progress in Karkh By Sgt. Nathan Ritzo Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team BAGHDAD A conference was held Aug. 16 in Baghdad s International Zone featuring a new plan to rebuild al Karkh, a Baghdad neighborhood hit very hard by the terrorist-led insurgency. It was hosted by elements of the 2nd Black Jack Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division and leaders from the Karkh District were in attendance. The day-long conference featured many speakers from the Black Jack Brigade. The speakers highlighted the improvements in the area, and also fielded questions from the Karkh neighborhood and district leaders through interpreters. Maj. James Adams oversees civil and military operations for the unit hosting the event. There were also members of the Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team in attendance. Adams said the conference was a success, but that the success of the event was merely a reflection of the positive changes that have gone on in Karkh since a new security plan for the area was put in place. This plan, known as the Haifa Street Project, and is named for the main street in Karkh that the project focuses. The differences that I see in the general appearance of the area [from March to now] are indescribable, said Adams. The bullet holes are patched. The sidewalks are painted. The grenade holes in the sidewalks are gone. The bricks are put back in place. It s almost as if nothing had happened. The positive changes on Haifa Street have gone far beyond mere aesthetic differences, Adams said. I saw five times as many people there [compared with March], said Adams, a native of Alexandria, La. I saw moving trucks unloading back into apartments. The people are coming back, so the population is growing. Adams also feels the economic boost to the district through the Haifa Street Project has been valuable. I saw businesses actually opened, he said. The last time I walked down Haifa Street I counted two or three businesses that were actually opened. Now, almost every shop is opened. Security is the cornerstone of the (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kap Kim, 2-1 Cav. Div. Public Affairs) Iraqi National Police commander for the Karkh district, Gen. Bahaa al Jassim al Nuri, speaks during a conference in Baghdad s International Zone Aug. 16, which focused on the progress made in Karkh over the last several months, as well as future plans for the area. Haifa Street Project, and the security plan relies heavily on Iraqi Police, with Coalition Forces serving a supporting role. The goals of the security plan drafted in April of this year include: defeating local insurgents, protecting the population by reducing sectarian violence and sectarianism in general and enhancing the capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces while putting them on a path to independence from Coalition aid. Gen. Bahaa al Jassim al Nuri is the Iraqi National Police Commander. He attended the conference and was very positive on the relationship between the Iraqi Security Forces and the Coalition Forces in the area. We feel very pleased working with the Coalition Forces. We are working as one team, said al Nuri. We have been keeping the area safe and secure since we ve been here. The positive effects from improved security in the area have had a positive effect on many essential services in the Karkh District, which were highlighted at the conference. These services included water, sewage, electrical services, refuse handling, schools, and medical facilities. Lt. Col. (Dr.) Margaret Merino, the 2nd BCT surgeon, said she feels the Haifa Street Project has been successful overall, and the success of the project has led to improved medical services for the area. We ve been working hard to get the clinics in better shape and seen slow improvement from that standpoint, but it is coming along, said Merino, who is originally from Buffalo, N.Y. The conference ended with the outline of a few long-term goals for the rebuilding of Karkh. These include the establishment of safe markets, economic development and supporting key leaders in that respect, developing economic opportunities for new businesses and entrepreneurs, conducting a job fair in the near future and financing 100 new businesses in Karkh. The presentation of these long-term goals was followed by an informal open discussion between the Iraqi leaders in attendance and the members of the Black Jack Brigade.