Bombed Iraqi police desperately seek fallen colleagues, more guns

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031028/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_us_police&cid=1514&ncid=1480

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi police, plastered with bandages, returned to their bombed out stations, finding themselves caught in the middle of the US-led coalition's battle against ever-more lethal insurgents.

"If we hadn't been associated with the Americans, if we had enough arms and means, we would not be called collaborators and this tragedy would not have happened," said Warrant Officer Naseer Hadi.

He was watching policemen scouring mountains of rubble at the station in al-Elam, south of Baghdad, where fully-armed US Military Police stood guard behind barbed wire, blocking access to the site, even to some policemen. snip

"Not all policemen have badges granted by the Americans, so we cannot even go into the station to look for our colleagues. How can anyone respect us," said one policeman in uniform who did not wish to be identified.

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[sistersofmercy]

1. "How can anyone respect us" that is truly sad.

The majority of Iraqis see these men as collaborators but I' m quite sure most of the men see themselves as trying to bring stability to their broken country. The coalition doesn't give them any respect either. Very sad.

[burrowowl]

2. Very sad

the police are between a rock and a hard place.

[dArKeR]

3. Has anyone else noticed the published pics/TV clips after a bombing/

ambush show the Iraqi police/plain clothed soldiers in really neat/modern/clean clothing. Nice shoes, nice slacks, nice modern shirt, nice belt?

I hope I'm not the only one who notices this stuff.

Makes me wonder if they're even Iraqis?

[NNN0LHI]

5. They are one of Chalabi's thugs that the US military brings to all of...

...these events for the photo-op. Most were not even born in Iraq. Don't leave home without one.

Don

[sam sarrha]

4. They have several 5 mile square amo dumps totally unprotected

and they cant find guns for the cops, we destroyed mountains of guns on CNN on the way in........we just dont want them having them!

[Kinkistyle]

6. Bomb-Fodder

Just need the Iraqi police to absorb the bomb blasts. Don't want to actually give them any weapons - hell, they might turn them on us! Thats why they're "soft targets" right?

[SOS]

7. Even the IGC

has condemned the crooked US arms deals.
Iraq has tons of AK-47s but the US won't give these operable guns to the Iraqi police.
Instead they have authorized a $20 million contract to BUY AK-47s from some regional arms dealer, who hasn't delivered.
Where's the money? Where are the guns? Why can't they give the Iraqi police the guns they have? The IGC called the gun deal corrupt and emblematic of the utter incompetence of Bush.