Thursday, October 04, 2007
Iraq orders $100 mn. worth of light military equipment from China
(Reuters) - Iraq has ordered light military equipment from China worth $100 million because the United States is unable to meet Baghdad's requirements, the Washington Post reported President Jalal Talabani as saying. The weapons are intended for Iraq's police where only one in five officers are armed, it quoted Talabani as saying in an article published on its Web site on Thursday.
The Iraqi president also called for faster U.S. weapons deliveries to strengthen Iraq's army. "The capacity of the factories here are not enough to provide us quickly with all that we need, even for the army," the newspaper quoted Talabani, who is visiting the United States, as saying. "One of our demands is to accelerate the delivery of the arms to the Iraqi army".
Last week the Pentagon said it was ready to sell Iraq weapons worth up to $2.3 billion to help its army expand and take over missions now carried out by U.S. and other foreign forces. It said the sale would include vehicles, small arms ammunition, explosives and communications equipment, as well as upgrades to 32 additional UH-1 helicopters.
The newspaper said U.S. officials conceded Washington faced problems delivering everything Baghdad needed. "We're working hard just to supply our own troops," an administration official told the newspaper. "Our factories are working for our own troops. So it's true we don't have the ability to provide these rifles and other equipment they're looking for."
The Iraqi president also called for faster U.S. weapons deliveries to strengthen Iraq's army. "The capacity of the factories here are not enough to provide us quickly with all that we need, even for the army," the newspaper quoted Talabani, who is visiting the United States, as saying. "One of our demands is to accelerate the delivery of the arms to the Iraqi army".
Last week the Pentagon said it was ready to sell Iraq weapons worth up to $2.3 billion to help its army expand and take over missions now carried out by U.S. and other foreign forces. It said the sale would include vehicles, small arms ammunition, explosives and communications equipment, as well as upgrades to 32 additional UH-1 helicopters.
The newspaper said U.S. officials conceded Washington faced problems delivering everything Baghdad needed. "We're working hard just to supply our own troops," an administration official told the newspaper. "Our factories are working for our own troops. So it's true we don't have the ability to provide these rifles and other equipment they're looking for."
Labels: China, Iraq, Iraqi police, Jalal Talabani, weapons
Friday, September 07, 2007
14 “Wanted” People, Wearing Women’s Clothing, Arrested In Diyala
(Mashriq Newspaper) - 6 SEP - The Iraqi Police in the Baquba (area) town of Abu Saida announced: yesterday morning, “we arrested 14 “wanted” people (criminals).” The Police noted that these “wanted” people are Al Qaeda members; and, (at the time of their capture) all of them were dressed (disguised) in women’s clothing.
An IP source told the Iraq Voices’ News Agency, “A number of passengers in a Kia minivan were behaving strangely and this caused Policemen at the checkpoint (in Abu Saida) to become suspicious. The IPs searched the passengers and discovered these “wanted” people dressed in women’s clothes.”
The source added, “During the investigation into these terrorists, it appears that they are ‘wanted’ people who were trying to flee from the town of Al Wajihiya, near Muqdadiya (in Diyala Province, north of Baghdad).”
The source continued, “It is interesting that (almost) all of these detainees are between the ages of 15-22 years old…except for two…who are over 30 years old.”
In other news, in Mosul yesterday evening, a suicide car bomber targeted a Mosque in the Ninawa Province city of Mosul, north of Baghdad. The car bomb’s explosion killed a policeman, and wounded 26 others.
The source added, “During the investigation into these terrorists, it appears that they are ‘wanted’ people who were trying to flee from the town of Al Wajihiya, near Muqdadiya (in Diyala Province, north of Baghdad).”
The source continued, “It is interesting that (almost) all of these detainees are between the ages of 15-22 years old…except for two…who are over 30 years old.”
In other news, in Mosul yesterday evening, a suicide car bomber targeted a Mosque in the Ninawa Province city of Mosul, north of Baghdad. The car bomb’s explosion killed a policeman, and wounded 26 others.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Baqouba, Diyala, Iraqi police
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
U.S. forces hand over Fallujah to Iraqi police
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - U.S. forces handed over the security file of the city of Falluja, Anbar province, to local police forces, Falluja police chief said on Tuesday. "The city's security file was transferred on Tuesday morning from the Marines to police forces, which will become fully responsible for maintaining security and stability in the city," Chief of the Falluja police department Faisal al-Zawbaei told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
According to the hand over agreement, U.S. troops will support police forces only outside the city in the first stage, followed by full withdrawal from all posts outside the city when security condition improves. "The hand over came as police forces became capable of boosting security and stability and hunting down militants," the chief of the police said.
The city has witnessed since this morning tight security measures by police forces, which spread leaflets urging citizens to cooperate with the police to foster security. "The security situation will improve in Falluja and the police will concentrate on providing all services to citizens and starting reconstruction operations of the infrastructure which was severely damaged because of the military operations," a police source said.
According to the hand over agreement, U.S. troops will support police forces only outside the city in the first stage, followed by full withdrawal from all posts outside the city when security condition improves. "The hand over came as police forces became capable of boosting security and stability and hunting down militants," the chief of the police said.
The city has witnessed since this morning tight security measures by police forces, which spread leaflets urging citizens to cooperate with the police to foster security. "The security situation will improve in Falluja and the police will concentrate on providing all services to citizens and starting reconstruction operations of the infrastructure which was severely damaged because of the military operations," a police source said.
Labels: Fallujah, Iraqi police, U.S. marines
Friday, July 13, 2007
U.S. investigation concludes Iraqi police assisted attack on soldiers in Karbala
Security
(Reuters, USA Today) - A U.S. media report says a U.S. Army investigation has concluded that Iraqi police assisted insurgents in an attack in the Iraqi city of Karbala in January that killed five U.S. soldiers. "USA Today" said the information was contained in an investigative file made available to the newspaper and authenticated by the army. During the attack, insurgents posing as Americans entered a government compound in Karbala, killed a U.S. soldier, and drove away with four others whom they shot and killed later.
Labels: abduction, insurgents, Iraqi police, Karbala, murder, U.S. troops
