"The rules are so vague they can be read any way you want," U.S. Army
Lt. Col. Drake Jackson, a liasion with the Federal Police, said.
Officials said the Iraq Army and Federal Police have not made any
request for joint U.S. patrols since June 30. They said U.S. advisers and
technicians operate in closed bases to ensure a low-profile American
military presence.
The biggest change has been seen in Baghdad. The Iraqi Federal Police,
formerly the National Police Force, has taken over most of the checkpoints
in the Iraqi capital.
Unlike the U.S. military, the Federal Police patrols largely without
body armor or armored personnel carriers. Often a patrol consists of
several officers with AK-47 assault rifles in a Chevy pickup truck.
Officials said the movement of U.S. military forces and convoys has been
sharply restricted since June 30. After several confrontations, they said,
the U.S. military agreed to request Iraqi permission for any movement within
cities.
In these bases, Iraqi
troops undergo training by U.S. Army and Marine
Corps personnel in everything from combat skills, maintenance and operating
command and control networks.
"Inside the cities, all the American movement is under coordination with
the Iraqi security forces, and there is no problem," Majid said.
The U.S. officers have reported numerous difficulties, including
confrontations, with Iraqi police since June 30. They said personnel at the
Iraqi checkpoints often hamper the passage of U.S. convoys.
The Iraqi-U.S. tension has been greatest in the Sunni province of
Diyala, long regarded as a stronghold of Al Qaida. In July 2009, the Iraqi
government ordered the halt to all U.S. troop movement in the province north
of Baghdad.
A senior U.S. Army officer, Col. Timothy Reese, has submitted a
memorandum in which he warned of violence between American and Iraqi forces.
Reese asserted that the U.S. military was no longer wanted in Iraq and urged
a complete pullout by August 2010.
"The potential for Iraqi on U.S. violence is high now and will grow by
the day," Reese said.
