Iraq needs up to two years to build security forces: Hashemi

[Barrett808]

ISTANBUL (AFP) - Iraq needs one to two years to rebuild its security forces, Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi has said despite predictions they would be fully operational by the end of the year.

Hashemi said Thursday remarks by President Jalal Talabani that the country's army and police would take full charge of security in the country by the end of 2006 were premature.

"It is still early to say that. I do not believe that security will be perfect by the end of the year," Hashemi, on a private visit to Turkey, told the CNN Turk news channel when asked about Talabani's remarks last week.

"The biggest challenge is the reconstruction of the security forces. The problem is that we do not have professional forces," he said. "It will take one to two years to reconstruct those forces, to train and arm them."

Hashemi was speaking as a fresh wave of violence claimed at least 48 lives in Iraq Thursday.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060810/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestsecurity

[catmother]

1. it's been 3 years. how much time do they need? i don't

remember if it was murtha or another dem who suggested because of all the violence in iraq we could take them to kuwait or another friendly country to train them. makes sense to me.

[neverforget]

2. As long as US corporations need to make more money on selling

building or destroying Iraqi infrastructure.