Kirkuk police complains about Baghdad Government

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (K24) – On Saturday, Iraqi police celebrated the ninety-fourth anniversary of their foundation. The celebrations took place in main cities like Baghdad and Kirkuk. However, some police officers attending the parade in Kirkuk complained about the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.

Haider al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, addressed the criticism of the top Shiite cleric in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on the ineffectiveness of the Iraqi Government to eliminate corruption in the country.

Some Iraqi police forces attending the anniversary parade in Kirkuk complained that the Iraqi Ministry of Interior has ignored some of their necessities. Colonel Razwan Shukir, the director of Kirkuk Anti-crime Police, said, “We ask the Iraqi Ministry of Interior to prioritize Kirkuk Police requirements because we are on the front lines against Islamic State (IS).” Shukir continued, “They should support us financially and provide arms for us.”

According to Kirkuk police statistics revealed to K24, since the beginning of the war against IS militants, 29 police officers have been killed and 85 wounded. The Kirkuk police forces expressed unhappiness that the Iraqi Federal Government has not done enough to compensate the losses of war for them.

In January, Iraqi police forces that recently escaped IS-controlled areas near Hawija, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) west of Kirkuk, rejoined the Iraqi police in Kirkuk. These forces formed two new regiments of police forces with the mission of participating in liberating Hawija, who were also present in the celebrations in Kirkuk.  

Regarding the training of the Hawija liberation police forces, Colonel Arkan Hamad, the commander in chief of the forces, stated, “NATO forces have trained our police forces. We have about one thousand men.” Hamad continued, “We [the Hawija liberation forces] are in coordination with the Kirkuk Governorate, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, Hash al-Shabi, and Peshmerga forces.”