American officials have agreed ”in principle” to give Iraqis responsibility for a new security force that would tackle the growing insurgency, the head of Iraq’s governing council said yesterday.
The concession by the US authorities comes at a time when deadly attacks are becoming more frequent.
For weeks, the governing council has been pressing American officials to hand responsibility for security to Iraqis.
Iraqi leaders argue that a properly trained and equipped Iraqi force, under Iraqi command and with its own intelligence, would be more effective than US soldiers in challenging the violent resistance.
Although the American military has overwhelming firepower, it is hampered by a lack of Arabic speakers.
”We cannot establish security in Iraq unless it is given to the Iraqis,” said Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish leader who holds the rotating presidency of the governing council. ”We asked the coalition provisional authority to give this matter to us. They agreed in principle and we hope to get the full remit from the CPA.”
Talabani, who heads one of the two main Kurdish political parties, said he also envisaged Kurdish peshmerga fighters joining the new security force and being sent to fight the resistance.
”They could participate with the coalition forces in security and defending the country, especially in the places which are dominated by terrorist actions,” he said.
”We can deal with these thugs because they are hated by the people.”
The US has been reluctant to involve the several Iraqi militias in military operations. All militias loyal to different political parties have been banned, except the Kurdish peshmerga, which the US regarded as an ally in the war.
Security forces have been established, starting with the police, the beginnings of an Iraqi army, a border force, a building-protection unit, and a civil defence corps. The force outlined by Talabani will be run by the interior ministry, which is controlled by Iyad Allawi, the leader of the Iraqi National Accord.
Talabani refused to give details of the new security plan, but the putative force appears to be an extension of the powers of the existing civil defence corps. US officials are likely to want to maintain control of recruitment and training of members of the new force. – Guardian Unlimited Â