In the Baghdad neighborhood of Adhamiyah, hundreds have submitted
applications to join the force, Middle East Newsline reported. Officials said many of the Sunnis have been
attracted by what they termed excellent salaries offered by the Iraqi
government.
"I have two wives," Talib Hussein, 49, said. "I need money."
Iraq wants to recruit a force of 750 for the Critical Infrastructure
Guard Force in eastern Baghdad. So far, more than 400 applications have been
processed.
In late August, the Interior Ministry held a recruitment drive in
Adhamiya. More than 50 applicants, who underwent fingerprinting and iris
scans, spent hours filling out forms.
"The first time we did this, we had maybe 15 people show up," Sgt. 1st
Class Chhay Mao said. "But the word got around, and they're starting to
really show up now. They just keep coming."
Officials said at least half of the applicants were interested in
well-paying jobs. The remainder was said to be motivated by the need to
protect their families or a career in the security forces.
"We know who is good and who is bad," Ahmed Raja Al Assan, another
applicant, said.
The recruits have undergone a five-day program in basic marksmanship,
weapons maintenance, vehicle and personnel search techniques, codes of
conduct and rules of engagement. Officials said the recruits would be on the
lookout for Al Qaida or other Sunni insurgency infiltration in their
neighborhoods.
"For security in Adhamiyah, you need these guys to work," 1st Sgt.
Mohammed Hassan Ali, the Iraqi NCO in charge of training new CIGF recruits,
said.
Ali said some of those applying for the Critical Infrastructure Guard
Force, who include former members of Saddam Hussein's military, could just
as easily have been recruited by insurgency groups. He said the offer of
good
salaries marked a lure to serve the Iraqi government.
"There are almost 2,000 volunteers who have a Sunni background that have
volunteered and have been hired as policemen here and I'm sure there'll be
more," Brig. Gen. Michael Jones, commander of Civilian Police Assistance
Team, said on Aug. 30. "But that reflects a change in the attitude of
certain communities."
