|
WASHINGTON D.C. (May 28, 2008) - Last week, Iraq experienced the
lowest level of "security incidents" since March 2004, a reduction
that military officials attribute in part to improvements in Iraqi
security forces.
"The collective efforts ... to increase the capacity of the
Iraqi security forces is a key part of the reason why we saw last
week the lowest level of security incidents in Iraq the past four
years," Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a Multinational Force Iraq
spokesman, said this morning during a news conference in
Baghdad.
"It is also why we are seeing Iraqi citizens increasingly
supporting their security forces by calling in tips on criminal
activity and illegal weapons," Bergner continued. "And it is why we
are seeing the Iraqi security forces conducting effective
operations in Basra, Mosul and Baghdad to enforce the rule of
law."
Army Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik, commander of Multinational
Security Transition Command Iraq, said he and other officials
tasked with building and training the national security forces in
Iraq are seeing continued progress.
"The last 12 months have witnessed a marked decrease in
violence, along with a corresponding increase in the capability,
professionalism and effectiveness of the Iraqi security forces," he
told reporters during the news conference.
The media have devoted much attention to the temporary
33,000-troop surge announced last year, which military officials
have praised for helping tamp down violence in Iraq, Dubik said.
But equally important, he added, is the complementary surge in the
numbers and overall quality of the Iraqi forces.
Since June 2007, the Iraqi army has added 52,000 soldiers, the
air force has expanded by 21 aircraft, and Iraq's special
operations forces have increased by 1,400 personnel. At the same
time, the nation's armed forces have dramatically increased their
ability to sustain and replenish themselves, Dubik said.
"Last year at this time, the Iraqi army had only about 2,500
up-armored Humvees; right now it's almost 3,200, and by the end of
this year, there will be over 6,200 up-armored Humvees in the army
alone," he said, adding that the Iraqi air force increased its
number of sorties over the same time from 30 weekly missions to
225.
Since this time last year, Iraqi security forces have grown by
about 46,000 Iraqi police members and 15,000 Iraqi national police,
Dubik said. As the forces swell, the Interior Ministry has made a
"concerted effort" to ensure the members are trained to comport
themselves professionally at the national and provincial
levels.
"This has contributed greatly to an increase in confidence in
the people that the police are to serve and protect," he added.
"I'm very proud to be a partner in this endeavor."
|
