Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq - United States Department ...

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Ba’athification, there are currently three differentproposals—one from the Sunni IraqiIslamic Party, one from the cross-sectarianIraqiyya Party, and one from the CoR De-Ba’athification Committee. Iraqi leaders areworking to synthesize these drafts and reachan agreeable compromise position, with thethree-member Presidency Council taking aleading role on this issue. On the provincialpowers legislation, a draft law has been readtwice on the floor of the CoR and appearsheaded for passage, though key issues, suchas a date and structure for local elections,remain unresolved. These pieces of legislationare among the most important stepstoward meaningful national reconciliation,and the United States will continue toencourage the GOI to achieve agreementwhen the CoR returns to session this month.CrimeCriminal activities remain elevated and areoften difficult to distinguish from sectarianand other violence. White collar crime is anentrenched practice stemming from decadesof nepotism and organized criminal activitiesby government institutions of the formerregime; it will remain a serious obstacle forthe GOI for years to come. The Board ofSupreme Audit, the Commission on PublicIntegrity, and ministry inspectors generalcontinue to work with the Ministry of Justice(MOJ) to promote transparency and to curbthis entrenched practice.Public CorruptionBudget execution and corruption problemscontinue to hamper the GOI’s ability to performand turn good intentions into results.The United States is helping the GOI targetand spend the US$10 billion in Iraqi fundsdedicated to capital investment,reconstruction, and job creation programsthrough an effort headed by Ambassador TimCarney, appointed by Secretary Rice inJanuary to serve as an Economic TransitionCoordinator in Baghdad. To be fullyeffective, however, Iraq must also reformSaddam-era laws that allow cabinet ministersto shield government officials fromprosecution, and all Iraqi leaders mustcommit to ensuring the neutral andindependent application of the law. TheUnited States is also working with the WorldBank and other international institutions tosupport the three primary anti-corruptioninstitutions in Iraq: the Commission on PublicIntegrity, the Supreme Board of Audit, andthe inspectors general assigned to the governmentministries. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdadrecently restructured its rule of law andlaw enforcement offices to improve theireffectiveness in achieving civilian rule of lawobjectives in Iraq.PoliceThe Ministry of Interior (MOI) views its primaryrole as that of providing security. Anemphasis on tactical skills is understandable,considering the nature of the violence in Iraq,but little time is left for training in the conductof criminal investigations. To addressthis shortcoming, Multi-National SecurityTransition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I) isstrengthening the Iraqi Major Crimes TaskForce and the Major Crimes Unit. Additionally,MNSTC-I and the MOI are working toimprove Iraq’s forensic investigative capabilitiesby adding several thousand forensicspecialists to the police forces. Militia infiltrationof local police remains a problem andPrime Minister Maliki has demonstrated acommitment to retraining and reformingpolice units that are shown to be servingsectarian or parochial interests. Thoughimproving, the lack of a fully functionaljustice system has led to unreliable detentionpractices, and police have often disregardedrelease orders signed by Iraqi judges. Securityforces also remain prone to intimidationby or collusion with militias and criminalgangs, thereby decreasing the confidenceamong ordinary Iraqis in their legitimatesecurity force.6March 2, 2007
CourtsAs of January 2007, Iraq had approximately870 investigative and trial judges (up 70 fromthe last report) and 100 criminal courts. TheGOI recognizes the need to expand judicialcapacity. To meet the growing demands ofthe judiciary, the number of judicialinvestigators is scheduled to reach 700 in2007 and 1,000 in 2008. The MOJ nowoperates a Judicial Training Institute. Thefirst class of 178 judges and prosecutors isscheduled to graduate in summer 2007. Asecond class of 60 trainees is scheduled tograduate in fall 2008. These are positivesteps, but to meet the growing demand acrossthe judicial sector, the MOJ needs to increasethe system’s capacity.Judges frequently face threats and attacks,and thus absenteeism and resignations underminethe workforce. Those who remain oftenfear handing down guilty verdicts againstdefendants with ties to insurgent groups ormilitias. In the provincial courts, judges oftendecline to investigate or try cases related tothe insurgency and terrorism.The United States has obligated roughlyUS$38 million since 2004 for judicialsecurity. To counter judicial intimidation,secure criminal justice complexes are underdevelopment. A criminal justice complexmay include a courthouse, detention facilities,forensic labs, and judicial housing—alllocated within the same secure perimeter.This concept provides enhanced security forthe judges and staff and creates synergyamong the judiciary, police, and detentionofficials. The first such complex will belocated in the Rusafa district of Baghdad,outside the Green Zone. Investigative judgesof the Central Criminal Court of Iraq will behoused there; it will also have detentionfacilities and housing for judicial and courtpersonnel.Prisons and DetaineesConcerns remain that the Iraqi CorrectionsService is increasingly infiltrated by criminalorganizations and militias. Detentionfacilities in Iraq do not meet incarcerationneeds. Pre-trial detention facilities in Iraq,administered by the MOI, the Ministry ofDefense (MOD), and the MOJ, are reportedto be overcrowded, substandard facilities withpoor detainee accountability practices. 5 Posttrialprisons, administered by the MOJ,generally meet international standards, butare at maximum capacity. To address thisproblem, Prime Minister Maliki and theMinister of Justice are demanding greateroversight of prison facilities, and U.S.advisors are encouraging the MOJ to increasethe salaries of corrections officers to bringthem more in line with those of policeofficers and thus to reduce the temptations ofbribery. The Embassy and Multi-NationalForce-Iraq (MNF-I) are also working with theGOI to increase detention capacity in the nearterm through additional compounds withadequate oversight in Baghdad and in thelong term through hardened facilities to beadministered by the MOJ.7March 2, 2007
Page 1 and 2: Measuring Stability andSecurity in
Page 3 and 4: IntroductionThis report to Congress
Page 5 and 6: 1. Stability and Security in Iraq1.
Page 7: 1.1.4. Rule of LawStability and sec
Page 11 and 12: To address procurement problems, th
Page 13 and 14: Oil Production, Distribution, and E
Page 15 and 16: Water and SanitationAs of December
Page 17 and 18: Total Attacks by ProvinceNovember 1
Page 19 and 20: 1400Sectarian Murders* and Incident
Page 21 and 22: 12001000Attacks Targeting Iraqi Civ
Page 23 and 24: Many Iraqis feel more positive at t
Page 25 and 26: quarters, and 93 Iraqi Army battali
Page 27 and 28: 2. Iraqi Security Forces Training a
Page 29 and 30: Current Manning InitiativesThe gene
Page 31 and 32: 2.2. Ministry of InteriorMOI forces
Page 33 and 34: formalized a professional developme
Page 35 and 36: Iraqi Police Service EquipmentFor B
Page 37 and 38: Administration Directorate develope
Page 39 and 40: 2.3. Ministry of DefenseThe Iraqi M
Page 41 and 42: Force GenerationForce generation of
Page 43 and 44: make-up of Iraq generally. The even
Page 45 and 46: Annex A. List of Acronyms and Abbre
Page 47: 20 This report and future reports w

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