General Says Mosul Needs Cops, Not Army

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General Says Mosul Needs Cops, Not Army
October 30, 2008
Associated Press

MOSUL, Iraq - A senior U.S. commander, acknowledging that Iraq's now most violent city has been neglected for too long, says that only well-trained police rather than military forces could ensure Mosul's long-term security.

Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, who heads U.S. troops in northern Iraq, told senior Iraqi police officers Wednesday that when American and Iraqi army units inevitably pull out of the city, its security will be in the hands of a now undermanned and inadequately trained police.

Shortly before Hertling's arrival, a car bomb targeting police at a traffic circle killed two people and injured six others, according to a U.S. Military Police report.

In another incident, a grenade was tossed at U.S. troops by a passing motorist who was quickly apprehended. There were no reports of casualties in that attack.

But despite the almost daily violence, the U.S. military says attacks are down by almost half since May, when a major operation was launched to clear al-Qaida and other insurgent groups who fled Baghdad and other areas to Mosul in wake of the U.S. surge.


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