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| Graduates of the Iraqi National Police 6th Leadership Course marching at the Graduation Ceremony |
BAGHDAD, 2 December, 2008. 551 Iraqi Police Officers graduated from the Police Leadership Course carried out by Italian Carabinieri under NATO Training Mission in Iraq at Camp Dublin, Baghdad.
The specialised course was designed to provide further training for the Iraqi National Police to develop their skills. During the 8 week course Police Officers studied operational planning, police procedures, police intelligence, counter-insurgency skills, weapons, combat skills, First Aid and basic logistics. The course paid special attention to police ethics and human rights.
"The path of Iraq's self sufficiency becomes more evident, Iraqi National Police is the primary fighting force with quality and results,” said Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, Commander of Allied Joint Forces Command Naples and highest NATO representative at this ceremony. "Iraqi National Police will continue to build trust among Iraq's citizens and will make the community safer by reducing the number of illegal weapons caches as more and more provinces transfer law enforcement tasks to Iraqis.”
The attendees came from Iraqi National Police 1st Battalion, Knights Ride Brigade 3rd Division. This was the 6th battalion trained by the Italian Carabinieri since the start of their training under NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I) in 2007.
"We of the National Police feel proud and strong from the support we have been given,” said LGEN Hussein al-Awady, commander of the Iraqi National Police.
The next police course will start in December this year. The Iraqi Ministry of the Interior plans to increase the size of the course to 900 students per class next year.
NATO Training Mission – Iraq trains, mentors and advises officers in the Iraqi Security Forces, in order to assist the Government of Iraq resume its important place in the international community and to improve the security of all Iraqi people.
NATO-s other co-operation projects include Iraqi Military Academy and Joint Staff College in Ar Rustamiyah, Iraqi National Defence College, Defence Language Institute and National Police Training. Officers of NATO Training Mission – Iraq also provide mentoring and advice to the Prime Minister's National Operations Centre and the Minister of Defence and Minister of Interior's Joint Operations Centre.