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| Iraq |
| Iraq sacks 62,000 workers |
| 2009-03-22 |
| RAQ has sacked 62,000 employees accused of corruption and is dismantling sectarianism among its police - signs that it has turned a corner en route to eventual self-rule, Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani wrote in a US newspaper. He wrote in the Chicago Tribune newspaper that the firings occurred within his interior ministry, which employs a half-million workers. "We've tackled corruption by firing 62,000 employees and begun to dismantle sectarianism by prohibiting all political activity by police officers and creating a force made up of all Iraqis, Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurd,'' Mr Bolani wrote in his opinion piece in The Tribune. "It is my hope that again the ministry will be a mirror of Iraq, only this time for a country united and at peace.'' Mr Bolani wrote that the Iraqi police service, the national police, the border patrol and other law enforcement agencies "continue to swell with new recruits, eager to maintain the stability necessary for Iraq to succeed''. He said the inroads in security mark a dramatic turnaround from the years after Saddam Hussein was deposed by US troops. "During the first few years after Saddam Hussein's regime fell, Iraq was an unmitigated disaster. Corruption, sectarian conflict, agitation from outside forces and general mismanagement were pervasive, preventing us from rebuilding our infrastructure and returning a sense of normalcy to the country,'' the minister wrote. But he said Iraq has succeeded in turning a corner in maintaining law and order. ``We now have a chance to be the first workable Arab democracy,'' he sad. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #6 He's talking about a period of time, not all at once. The Interior Ministry has made great strides and that is a very hopeful sign. In that number are the folks that caved to Mookie in Basra, a bunch from Daiyla, and various other odds and sods. In this case, most were sacked for the reasons stated. This is a minor success story when it comes to corruption, though there can always be improvements. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2009-03-22 23:02 |
| #5 Whoops! hit the wrong key. To continue: *This opinion based on no actual data whatsoever, but my faith that we have made a difference to Iraq, despite all the imperfections. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-03-22 20:28 |
| #4 I imagine at least some were Sons of Iraq make-work jobs to keep them out of Al Qaeda. That's not needed anymore, I think. And I strongly suspect that a good many of them were connected to criminal/sectarian groups like the Mahdi Army, and those have been cleaned up enough that their cronies needn't be tolerated in the security apparatus any longer. Finally, some are probably too corrupt or incompetent even by Iraqi standards. No doubt babies were thrown out with bathwater, but with the need for competent people they'll likely soon find themselves in an organization that can use their skills but where they better fit.* *This opinion based on no actual data whatsoever, but |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-03-22 20:26 |
| #3 Gotta admit, my first thought on seeing that headline was "gee, wish CA or the USG could do something like that" (i.e. cut tens of thousands of employees in a snap). On the substance of the matter, y'all are probably wise to keep hopes low - but let's not forget how spectacular even the possibility of a reasonably civilized Iraqi civil society is. This, of course, being mere gravy on top of the key strategic success of annihilating the most dangerous, ambitious, and resource-rich Arab adversary and likely global jihad backer. One of the things that has boiled my blood (starting with remarks I saw Gen. Casey make in March '05 in the rotunda of the palace/embassy annex) have been the rhetorical retreats of both administrations WRT our timeline in Iraq. The strategic payoff of our investment of blood and treasure will likely be proportional to the duration of our effective presence. Esp. with something like the issue in question here. Dunno how things are these days, but the Hong Kong police emerged from the British colonial experience as probably the least corrupt and most professional police force in the entire eastern hemisphere. No accident. To me it's hardly less of an outrageous squandering of so much noble sacrifice to cut short our effective presence following victory over the insurgency than it would have been to cut and run before we had victory in the bag. But I suppose that's one of the things that has put me on a different planet than most Americans and almost all of my former Beltway colleagues. |
| Posted by: Verlaine 2009-03-22 19:33 |
| #2 Glenmore, I don't have an answer, but the Iraqi people will pay the price/reap the reward of whichever is true. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-03-22 18:10 |
| #1 I have to ask, were they sacked because they were corrupt, or because they did not pass the demanded cut of the corruption proceeds on up the political ladder? |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-03-22 16:22 |