AMMAN — Scores of Iraqi police cadets rioted during their
training in Jordan.
The cadets destroyed property of the Jordanian police academy and
damaged cars during the riot on June 10. Nobody was reported injured.
The Amman-based International Police Academy has trained more than
15,000 Iraqi police cadets since February 2004. Courses have been given by
personnel from Australia, Britain, Jordan, the United States and 12 other
states.
The Jordanian daily Al Ghad reported that the trainees struck for
several hours and refused to attend classes. The newspaper quoted a U.S.
diplomat in Amman as saying that the violence subsided after negotiations
with the rioters regarding their demands.
The diplomat did not cite a reason for the riot. But Jordanian sources
said Iraqi cadets at the facility have increasingly complained of poor
treatment by Western trainers. They said many of the Iraqis chafed under
the discipline imposed by the academy.
Al Ghad said the cadets also complained that the academy refused to
provide security for the trip from Amman to Baghdad. Iraqi police have often
been attacked by Sunni insurgents as they crossed into Iraq from Jordan.
