Iraqi's Fight for Iraq

This article is from CentCom:

The 1st Mechanized Brigade is the heavy-hitting reaction force for the Iraqi National Police. Based in Baghdad, its two battalions use a combination of fast Chevrolet pickup trucks and heavily-armored, six-wheeled vehicles used by Army military police units, to man checkpoints and run patrols along Route Irish. But their responsibility does not stop there; the 1st Mechanized Brigade was designed to quickly deploy throughout the region to augment security operations wherever they are needed.

Col. Emad, commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Mechanized Brigade, is a soft-spoken, relentlessly determined, and realistic individual. He recognizes the need for a different mindset when confronting the security issues of contemporary Iraq.

“We are all Iraqis fighting for the Iraqi government,” he said through an interpreter, emphasizing the need to look past sectarian divisions when it comes to performing his role in the National Police.Public distrust for the National Police is perhaps the biggest obstacle to effective policing.

The intelligence officer for 3rd Battalion, Maj. Hamza, agrees. “The people should feel safe so they can come to the police when something is wrong – they must trust us before things will get better,” Hamza said.

More.