Iraqi Police
Encyclopedia
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
responsible for the enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
of civil law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
within Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
The current organisation, structure and recruitment practice was guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
following the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. The command of the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
belongs to the reformed Government of Iraq under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior
Ministry of Interior (Iraq)
The Ministry of Interior of Iraq handles policing and border control in Iraq. The MoI consists of several elements, including the Iraqi Police, Highway Patrol, Traffic Department, Emergency Response Unit, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and Department of Border Enforcement...
.
The abbreviation "IP" is used to refer to Iraqi Police, while the abbreviation "ISF" is usually used to refer to the broader "Iraqi Security Forces
Iraqi Security Forces
The Iraqi Armed Forces are the military forces of the Government of Iraq. They consist of the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Air Force, and the Iraqi Navy....
".
Organization and Oversight
The Iraqi Police forces are part of the Ministry of InteriorMinistry of Interior (Iraq)
The Ministry of Interior of Iraq handles policing and border control in Iraq. The MoI consists of several elements, including the Iraqi Police, Highway Patrol, Traffic Department, Emergency Response Unit, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and Department of Border Enforcement...
. It is currently under the command of Major General Hussein Jassim Alawadi.
The Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq
Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq
Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq was the branch of the Multi-National Force - Iraq that is responsible for developing, organizing, training, equipping, and sustaining the Iraqi Security Ministries and their associated Iraqi Security Forces , i.e...
(MNSTC-I), is a U.S. military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
organisation tasked to train, mentor, and equip all Iraqi civilian security forces. MNSTC-I also has the stated goal
Strategic planning
Strategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible avenues...
of training their counterparts in the Government of Iraq to eventually completely assume their role.
The Iraqi Police Service (IPS)
The Iraqi Police Service is a uniformed organisation, that is tasked with the general patrol of Iraq's cities, along with responding to incidents within them.
The Federal Police (FP)
The Federal Police is a paramilitary organisation designed to bridge the gap between the police and the army. It responds to incidents that are beyond the capabilities of the IPS, but are not serious enough to involve the Iraqi ArmyIraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
in domestic incidents, The FP can be called in by IPS if the situation is getting too dangerous for them to handle alone. The FP originated as the Special Police (SP) on Aug. 15, 2004 when it was formed as the Special Police to provide a national rapid respond capability to counter armed insurgency and large-scale civil disobedience and riots. The name was changed to the Iraq National Police (NP) March 30, 2006. On August 1, 2009, the NP was renamed as the Federal Police.
Supporting Forces
The Supporting Forces are made up of the remaining supporting organisations, primarily the Department of Border Enforcement which is tasked with securing Iraq's borders and ports of entryPort of entry
In general, a port of entry is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has a staff of people who check passports and visas and inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. International airports are usually ports of entry, as are road and rail crossings on a...
, and the Iraqi Prison Service which maintains Prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
s. The Facilities Protection Service
Facilities Protection Service
The Facilities Protection Service is an Iraqi paramilitary force tasked with the fixed site protection of Iraqi Government buildings, facilities, and personnel. The FPS includes Oil, Electricity Police and Port Security. It works for all Iraqi government ministries and governmental agencies, but...
also operates, which is responsible for the protection of buildings owned by the Iraqi Government.
Uniforms
The Iraqi Police Service uniform commonly consists of a long sleeve slight blue shirt with black or light blue trousers, or blue combat trousers like the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. To signify their status as Police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s, they have been known to wear a dark blue baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
with "POLICE" in white lettering. They also wear a blue brassard on the left arm, with the Iraqi flag
Flag of Iraq
The flag of Iraq consists of the three equal horizontal red, white, and black bands of the Arab Liberation Flag. The flag has been in use since 1963, with several changes to the green symbols in the central white band, the most recent version bearing the Takbir rendered in green. Following the U.S...
embroidered on it, along with "Iraqi Police" embossed on it in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, along with body armour, and PASGT helmet
Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops
Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops, sometimes abbreviated to PASGT, was a combat helmet and ballistic vest used by the American military from the mid 1980s until 2005, when the system was succeeded by the Lightweight Helmet, Modular Integrated Communications Helmet, and Interceptor body...
.
The Federal Police wears a uniform consisting of pixelated black and blue camouflage uniform similar to the US Army Combat Uniform Universal Camouflage Pattern, which includes a baseball cap, body armour and PASGT helmet. FP uniforms are issued once the officer has completed training, officers that are yet to undergo training can be found in a variety of uniforms including woodland camouflage. FP officers are organised into brigades, covering geographical areas.
Rank insignia for the IPF is identical to that of the Iraqi Army with the only change being that shoulder boards are the same color as the shirt of the officer. This too has an exception in that IPS office shoulder boards are dark blue same as the pants, hat and brassard.
Ranks
Ranks within the service, ordered highest to lowest, with symbol on epaulette:- Chief of PoliceChief of policeA Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
/رئيس الشرطة - (single bar, Crossed wreath & Star) - Chief SuperintendentChief SuperintendentChief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
/مشرف رئيسيّ - (Crossed wreath & Star) - SuperintendentSuperintendent (police)Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
/مشرف - (Three stars) - Chief InspectorChief inspectorChief inspector is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police .-Australia:...
/[شف ينسبكتور] - (Bar, and two stars) - InspectorInspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
/مفتش - (Bar, and one star) - CaptainPolice captain- France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant....
/نقيب - (Two stars) - LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
/ملازم أوّل - (One star) - SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
/رقيب - (Four bars) - Patrolman/[بترولمن] - (One bar)
Dangers faced by Iraqi police
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
after the fall of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, It has become the target of fighters from both inside and outside Iraq with many thousands of officers killed by a combination of gunfire and bombings by Iraqi insurgents
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
, foreign terrorists and in some cases, friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
by Coalition troops. an estimated 4,250 serving Iraqi police officers had been killed between January 2005 and the 4 March 2006. Due to the rather high unemployment levels in Iraq, there has been a willing number of young Iraqi men willing to join up to do the task. A large number have died even before pulling on a uniform after being killed by both suicide bombers
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
and suicide car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
s whilst queueing at police recruitment stations.
The IP has also seen the infiltration of its ranks by insurgents of various guises and motives. With access to privileged information, training and weapons they have used the force to their tactical advantage. Many police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
s have been attacked, blown up, had weapons stolen from them and at times occupied by those who oppose the Iraqi government. As a result, many police officers have abandoned their posts, others took off their uniforms and turned their weapons on the US forces who trained them.
As of October 7, 2006, 12,000 Iraqi Police have deserted, with 4,000 killed.
The Iraqi police and Islamic law
The Baathist regime began to increase the role of Islam in government during the early 1990s, with required religious education in the schools, permitting honor killings and religious committees to parole neighbors and punish people who are deemed to be violating traditional mores (i.e. engaging in adultery, fornication, homosexuality or sodomy). Some of this has continued in the post-Baathist government.The Constitution stipulates that Islam is the official religion, enacted laws must conform to Islamic morality and that Constitutional provisions for civil rights and liberties shall be limited in accordance with public mores, which means Islam. Many members of the Iraqi police and Interior Ministry have ties to the Islamic fundamentalist Badr Brigade
Badr Brigade
Badr Brigade may refer to:*Badr Organization, in Iraq.*Badr Brigade in the Jordanian Army...
, which have been give leeway to punish people suspected of immorality.
In Basra for instance it was reported that police guarding a local park made no attempt to stop an armed group from severely beating two women and then shooting dead a male Iraqi friend of theirs. It has been suggested that the motivation for the attack was the mixing of men and women in a public place
Public space
A public space is a social space such as a town square that is open and accessible to all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are commons. For example, no fees or paid tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants...
. In some instances it has been said that the armed groups involved in these and other political killings were actually police officers.
Iraqi police and the Iraqi government
The Iraqi Government has also been accused of using (or tolerating) the police and other groups to carry out sectarian killings and kidnappings of SunniSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
Iraqis. In December 2005 the Iraqi Interior Ministry
Interior minister
An interior ministry is a government ministry typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. The ministry is often headed by a minister of the interior or minister of home affairs...
found itself the centre of attention when US troops found 625 inmates being held in "very overcrowded" conditions in a Baghdad interior ministry building. Twelve of the prisoners were reportedly showing signs of serious torture and many other signs of malnourishment. It was reported that Police Commando's had been responsible for some of the prisoners.
This story only served to lend weight to the accusations and sow more distrust of the police force. A report into the findings at the building was promised by Iraqi President
President of Iraq
The President of Iraq is the head of state of Iraq and "safeguards the commitment to the Constitution and the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty, unity, the security of its territories in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution." The President is elected by the Council of...
Ibrahim Jaafari
Ibrahim al-Jaafari
Ibrahim abd al-Karim Hamzah al-Eshaiker al-Jafari is an Iraqi politician who was Prime Minister of Iraq in the Iraqi Transitional Government from 2005 to 2006, following the January 2005 election. He was previously one of the two Vice-Presidents of Iraq under the Iraqi Interim Government from 2004...
at the end of December 2005 but as of the 4 May 2006 no report has been issued.
It's also the case that groups infiltrating the Iraqi police have stolen uniforms and carried out kidnappings and killings whilst dressed as police. When you combine these actions with those of members of the police force carrying out killings outside their own code of conduct
Code of Conduct
A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual, party or organization. Related concepts include ethical codes and honor codes....
it is often very difficult to identify exactly who is responsible.
The US State Department in 2006 released a human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
report that accused Iraq's police force of widespread atrocities.
The Iraqi government dismantled in October 2006 a complete police brigade because they had connections with sectarian death squadrons. Instead of fighting against the death squad
Death squad
A death squad is an armed military, police, insurgent, or terrorist squad that conducts extrajudicial killings, assassinations, and forced disappearances of persons as part of a war, insurgency or terror campaign...
s, the police helped them. The dismantled brigade has been transferred to a US base where they will be re-educated for their police job. Other police brigades will be subject of internal investigations for any liaison with death squads or other groups.
On November 14, 2006, some workers of the Ministry of Higher Education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
were kidnapped by gunmen who are suspected to be linked to Shi'ite militias and the Iraqi police. During that morning, kidnappers who wore recently-issued Iraqi police uniforms raided a Ministry of Higher Education building and seized over 100 men during broad daylight. There were reports that the vehicles which carried the hostages passed through Iraqi police checkpoints without being stopped. The Ministry of Interior spokesperson said that there are reports that the remaining hostages were to have been transported to Sadr City
Sadr City
Sadr City is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim and later unofficially renamed Sadr City after deceased Shia leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr....
, a Shi'ite militia stronghold in eastern Iraq. At least several senior Iraqi police officers were being investigated. This incident calls into question the links between Shi'ite militias and the Iraqi police, where the true power of Iraqi security forces lie, and tensions between the Sunni-controlled Ministry of Higher Education and the Shi'ite-controlled Ministry of Interior.
Number of serving Iraqi police officers
The actual number of police is notoriously hard to gauge, since local police chiefs may pad their numbers to get more funding for their stations, and people may drift in and out of service. The total payroll for the Ministry of Interior exceeds 300,000, but many of these are not on duty at any given time.As of mid-2007, the National Police Forces' employed approximately 25,000 national police. This number is slightly misleading, however, because at least one-third and as many as one-half of the NPs are on leave at any one time.
Number of Iraqi Police Deaths
As of December 24, 2005, it has been announced by the Iraqi government's Interior Minister Jawad Al-BolaniJawad Bulani
Jawad al-Bulani served as the Interior Minister of Iraq within the Council of Ministers under Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from 8 June 2006 to 21 December 2010. Bulani is a Shi'a independent member of the United Iraqi Alliance.Bulani's family is originally from the Diwaniyah region...
, that 12,000 police officers in Iraq have died in the line of duty since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Police Transition Teams(PTT) / Special Police Transition Teams/National Police Transition Teams(SPTT/NPTT)
Large scaled operation conducted by coalition forces to assist in the policing and training of Iraqi Police(IP) and Iraqi Special/National Police. PTTs are traditionally US Army Military PoliceMilitary police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
squads dedicated to Iraqi Police stations in Iraq. The teams conduct joint patrols with IPs, share station defense, gather numbers of station information, and counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
intelligence. The US MP squads usually develop trusting relations with the IPs and conduct community policing throughout Iraq together. The joint patrols and force of the PTTs have helped curb violence, and increase respect and the professional image of Iraq's police force. Later in the program, the duties began to be filled by USAF Security Forces
Security Forces
Security Forces can refer to:*United States Air Force Security Forces*Iraqi security forces...
members. Along with most of the Police Transition Teams, an International Police Liaison Officer(IPLO) was present. The IPLOs are highly experienced US peace officer
Peace officer
A law enforcement officer , in North America, is any public-sector employee or agent whose duties involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include police officers, prison officers, customs officers, immigration officers, bailiffs, probation officers, parole officers, auxiliary officers, and...
s to assist in post-academy training of the IPs. The mission has played a vital role in the ability of Iraq to police and protect its own, increasing the length of the projected measures to secure Iraq.
National Police Transition Teams (NPTT) are 11-man military transition team
Military transition team
A Military Transition Team, or Transition Team, is a 10-15 soldier team that and trains local forces. The term has been used in the context of the "War on Terror" to design groups training in particular the Iraqi Security Forces, Afghan Army and other Afghan security forces.- Mission :The primary...
s embedded in Iraqi National Police units at the battalion, brigade, division, and corps headquarters levels. Currently, these teams are resourced by the US Army and the US Marine Corps. Like the PTTs, each team is assisted by an IPLO and anywhere from 1-6 local interpreters.
External links
- Iraqi Federal Police official website
- Policing Post-War Iraq: Insurgency, Civilian Police, and the Reconstruction of Society (research paper) - By Mathieu Deflem and Suzanne Sutphin, published in Sociological Focus, Vol. 39(4), November 2006.
- Iraqi police deaths 'hit 12,000'