Officials said the U.S. military was providing training to Iraqi police
and military units to detect and neutralize IEDs. They said the anti-IED
capability was vital in the war against the Al Qaida network over the next
two years.
"The terrorists see IEDs as the chief means to conduct attacks that
would destabilize the central government," an official said.
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Officials said the U.S. military effort was focusing on the Iraqi
police, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the federal police and community police were being trained
in the use of systems that could detect and jam remote-controlled IEDs.
The U.S. plan called for the establishment of at least one counter-IED
unit in each of Iraq's 18 provinces. Officials said several provinces with
an assessed Al Qaida presence, including Anbar, Baghdad, Diyala and Nineveh,
would contain two units, available on a 24-hour, seven-day basis.
Officials said the U.S. military was also working with the Iraqi federal
police, with 100,000 members. They said the federal police would train and
form a counter-IED unit in each brigade.
Each counter-IED unit would contain a robot capable of inspecting and
neutralizing suspected bombs. Officials said security measures would be
taken to protect the units from exposure and intelligence leaks.