BAGHDAD Ñ Iraq has launched a new forward training base located at Numaniyah about 150 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. Officials said the base, opened on Sept. 1, cost $165 million and was financed by the United States.

The project was meant to accelerate training of Iraqi military and security forces. Officials said the Bush administration has decided to take about 20 percent of the $18.4 billion allocated for Iraqi reconstruction to build the nation's military and security forces.

Officials said Numaniyah would also serve as the Iraq Army's 2nd Brigade headquarters. They said the refurbished facility would operate as a training base for new recruits, Middle East Newsline reported.

The training at Numaniyah would focus on counter-insurgency, officials said. They said Numaniyah already serves as the home for three battalions of the Iraqi Intervention Force, the military's counterinsurgency wing that has seen action against Shi'ite insurgents in the Baghdad area.

The U.S. effort essentially completed a base that had been under construction by Yugoslav contractors hired by the ousted regime of Saddam Hussein. The U.S. project completed existing buildings and built additional structures along with sewers, electricity, air conditioning and security systems.

The Iraqi Army has bases in Kasik, Kirkuk, Taji and Kurkush. Officials said Numaniyah already contains 2,500 soldiers, many of whom have been in training.

Later in September, an Iraqi Police Services regiment was expected to begin special military operations in urban terrain training and counterinsurgency instruction. Officials did not elaborate.