Over 1 000 Iraqi cops fired

2006-10-17 15:23

Baghdad - Iraq's National Police is being completely reorganised and 1 228 officers have been dismissed for breaking the law, the Iraqi interior minister said on Tuesday.

Roughly 2 000 more are under investigation for dereliction of duty, Jawad al-Bolani added, in a press conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone.

"This restructuring was applied this week to the leadership of the National Police," he said.

"The headquarters of the two divisions were dissolved and all brigades were brought directly under the commander of the National Police."

The National Police, which was formed out of the police commandos and the public order brigades, was hastily thrown together in 2004 to address security shortages and became notoriously infiltrated by militias.

"A total of 1 228 have been dismissed on orders of the interior minister for criminal acts and forgery and human rights violations and other issues," Bolani said.

"The rest have failed to carry out their duties in some terror operations in provinces like Qaddisiyah and Diyala," he said, estimating that over 3 000 have been investigated in total.

The minister said this process, which has only been implemented now, has been underway since he took office in June. Bolani was chosen by the national unity government specifically for his lack of ties to the political parties.

Ultimately, however, it appeared this lack of a political base hampered his abilities to effect reforms.

- AFP