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New highway patrol to cruise Iraq's border routes

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, April 15, 2005

Iraq has launched a highway patrol to protect the nation's dangerous border routes from insurgents and hijackers.

Officials said the Interior Ministry has begun operations of the Iraqi Highway Patrol. The unit's academy has graduated about 250 cadets and they have been sent to patrol major highways in the country.



Iraq has been training special fores to secure the route from the Iraqi-Jordanian border to Baghdad, Middle East Newsline reported. The highway has been controlled by Sunni insurgents and hijackers, who have attacked Jordanian and other truckers.

The highway patrol officers have been trained to use the AK-47 automatic rifle and Glock handguns. Many of them said they were motivated by well-paying jobs and patriotism.

During the three-week course, cadets received training in weapons, driving, convoy operations, patrolling, searching buildings, first aid and anti-terrorism force protection. The 13 instructors in the course were drawn from a mix of Iraqi officers, coalition soldiers, international police trainers and international police liaison officers.

"Considering the short time frame and the fact that none of them have any prior experience, they've done an excellent job," Dave O'Brien, the director of the Iraqi Highway Patrol Academy, said. "They learned how to drive,shoot, [perform] defensive tactics and have the will to survive."


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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