Are Police in Iraq Ready?

Concerns mount over the force soon charged with Iraq's primary combat role

As concerns mount about the readiness of Iraqi troops to take over the primary combat role in that country, a new progress report on the Iraqi Police Service, expected to be released this week, raises troubling concerns, including the likelihood that the police have been infiltrated by terrorists. The report, by the Pentagon and State Department inspectors general, concludes that the training has been beset with problems amid "high-level violence and a vibrant insurgency." Despite some improvements, the report says, "too many recruits are marginally literate; some show up for training with criminal records or physical handicaps; and some recruits allegedly are...

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