Most of Iraqi Police 'Infiltrated' by Militia

London-based Asharq al-Awsat, is a pro-Saudi independent paper, issued daily.

Wednesday, 1 November, 2006

IWPR

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Most of Iraqi Police 'Infiltrated' by Militia

London-based Asharq al-Awsat, is a pro-Saudi independent paper, issued daily.

Militias have infiltrated seventy per cent of the Iraqi police, according to US training staff assigned to the force. The head of the Police Training group admitted that it might not be possible to create a service that was free of the influence of the militias. According to the official, most of the infiltration is by the Mahdi Army of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadir. In the al-Shu'la police station in Baghdad, for instance, the walls are covered with slogans praising the cleric.

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