US warns Iraq not to purge Arab soldiers
Rory Carroll in Baghdad
Wednesday April 13, 2005
The Guardian
The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, delivered a thinly veiled warning to Iraq's government yesterday not to purge the security forces or abuse its power for patronage.On a visit to Baghdad Mr Rumsfeld signalled US disapproval of any attempt to sweep Arab Sunnis and former members of the Ba'ath party from the police and army.
The Shia and Kurdish blocs that will dominate the new administration want to install their supporters in the security services and oust those who served under Saddam Hussein. But Mr Rumsfeld said, in effect, that such people were among the best qualified to tackle the insurgency.
"It's important that the new government be attentive to the competence of the people in the ministries and that they avoid unnecessary turbulence."
Mr Rumsfeld's visit coincided with an announcement from Poland that its 1,700 troops, the fifth-largest contingent, would leave Iraq by early next year. The Italians and Ukrainians plan to follow. The Poles command a 4,600-strong multinational force.
George Bush claimed yesterday that there were more Iraqi security forces in the country than American troops.
Addressing soldiers in Texas, the president declared: "Today, more than 150,000 Iraqi security forces have been trained and equipped, and for the first time, the Iraqi army, police and security forces now outnumber US forces in Iraq."
"Iraqis want to be defended and led by their own countrymen," he said. "We will help them achieve this objective so Iraqis can secure their own nation. And then our troops will come home with the honour they have earned."
Administration critics, however, have questioned the quality of Iraqi military training.
Mr Rumsfeld used his visit to lobby the newly appointed Kurdish president, Jalal Talabani, and Shia prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, over key issues. Having won the election and sealed their political ascendance after decades of oppression many Shia and Kurdish politicians want their rebel militias to take a leading role in the state security forces.
They mistrust interior and defence ministry officials left over from Saddam's time and accuse some of them of leaking intelligence to an insurgency drawn largely from the Arab Sunni minority.
Critics say the "deba'athification" process could become a sectarian witchhunt against Sunnis who have the experience lacking in the hastily recruited security forces.
With the interior and defence ministries offering vast scope for patronage there is also concern that a purge could be an excuse to dole out jobs and contracts to cronies.
"We have an opportunity to continue to make progress politically, economically ... anything that would delay that or disrupt that as a result of turbulence, or lack of confidence or corruption in government, would be unfortunate," said Mr Rumsfeld.
Mr Jaafari responded politely but vaguely: "I am sure we are going to form very good ministries. So I think we can cooperate, all of us, and face these challenges successfully."
A wave of shootings and bombings yesterday, including a suicide car bombing in Mosul that killed 10 civilians.
But US commanders said the recent decline in attacks could signal a rebellion that is faltering and pave the way for a third of the 150,000-strong US force to leave next year.
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