Iraqi Security Becoming Self-Sustaining

Capt. Hayder Adnan Ali, Iraqi police liaison to coalition forces explains marksmanship with Sgt. Hayder Sahib Silan at the Iraqi police provincial headquarters in Wasit, Iraq.

More good news from the forgotten war, its not like there are 130,000 troops there or anything:

FOB DELTA, Iraq (July 24, 2009) – National police in Iraq’s Wasit province now are capable of sustaining their own training needs after coalition forces leave here, military officials said, thanks to the efforts of a Massachusetts National Guard police company.

The 772nd Military Police Company, attached to the 41st Fires Brigade, worked with Iraqi police advisor teams to establish a mobile police training team. The team will serve at the police’s provincial headquarters and Iraqi police stations in the province along the Iranian border, as well as train other police trainers to train their own.

“It’s most important to me to let the world know that with the support of coalition forces, the 41st Fires Brigade, 772nd [Military Police] Company and the Iraqi police training teams, the creation of this mobile training team not only readies the progress for the future, but we are ready to stand by and stop any kind of enemy,” said Capt. Hayder Adnan Ali, the Iraqi police liaison to coalition forces. “When you get good training and good policemen, you can fight the enemy and protect your community.”

The focus at the provincial headquarters was firearms training, and instructors there said they know the importance of quality training.“I like to teach my training ideas and training goals to the students because I know that when I stand and fight against terrorism and any enemy against our country or while protecting all our communities, buildings and people’s lives, these recruits will be standing beside me, and I will know that they have been trained right,” said Sgt. Hayder Sahib Silan, Iraqi police instructor in Wasit.

“This is the first province in Iraq to have this mobile training team,” Silan said. “The other provinces rely on their academies and the coalition-led police training teams. But here in Wasit, we have the first independent, fully trained Iraqi mobile training team responsible for professional development and training of the Iraqi police.”

The fact that Iraqis in the area hit a critical mass to strengthening their own forces is great news. It means the fledgling democracy is becoming more then that, its becoming a nation that will set the course for the entire Middle East.