L. Paul Bremer, III
Weekly Address to the Iraqi People
As prepared for delivery
for Broadcast on Iraqi Media Network
at 2000 (Baghdad Time) 8 August 2003
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MAllah Bil Khair.
I am Paul Bremer, Administrator of the Coalition
Provision Authority.
This week I would like to talk to you about the quest for
law and order.
The Governing Council, in its political statement,
named security as its number one priority. The Council
said it want to emphasize
Providing security and stability for citizens and the
protection of their properti es as well as activati ng
and rebuilding state institutions, specifically th e
Iraqi police force and army.
The Coalition Authority agrees with that goal. We are
working with the Governing Council to help achieve it.
We understand, as does the Governing Council, that
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Iraq is not as safe as it once was and not as safe as it
must become.
Rebuilding the police service is an urgent and critical
problem, but the rebuilding requires careful thought and
implementation. In Iraq, as in many countries, some
individuals in the police force participated in repression
by the state.
Right now there are almost 34,000 Iraqi police on the
streets. Of these, over 4,500, plus 1,200 traffic police, are
in Baghdad. We are reviewing the backgrounds of an
additional 4,500 candidates for police work in Baghdad.
Within the next week we will begin an aggressive
campaign recruit over 31,000 additional men and women
for the police service. Once recruited, these 31,000
potential police officers must pass a background
investigation and complete a rigorous, eight-week
training course. Only after completing training will they
be on the street.
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Some retraining of current police has already begun.
Police have been graduating from several police training
programs around the country— here in Baghdad, in Al
Fallujah and elsewhere. As they complete their training
these retrained officers will resume their duties.
You should know that the Iraqi police are working
harder than ever to make your streets safer. In the past
few weeks they have been involved in many operations
that have resulted in the arrests or deaths of kidnappers,
carjackers, robbery suspects and violent criminals. This
activity will continue and as the new police are recruited,
trained and assigned, the streets will become safer.
I know this is a frustrating time for you and that the
high crime rate makes everything worse. Programs to
solve the crime problem are underway and before the
end of 2003 you will start to see more and more Iraqi
policemen and fewer and fewer soldiers on your streets.
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* * *
A larger and better police service will help. But, police
work is only part of a criminal justice system. While the
police must investigate crimes and arrest those
suspected of crimes, judicial systems must determine
the guilt or innocence of the accused. And, if the
individual is found innocent, determine punishment–
usually a term of imprisonment.
There is progress here as well. Right after the war, most
of Iraq’s courthouses were badly damaged and only a
few were operating. Today about 300 of Iraq’s 400
courts are operating. Not only are the courts
functioning, they functioning in way that protects
society and while assuring that the rights of the accused
are respected.
Apart from the regular courts the Governing Council has
directed the creation of:
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r
speciali zed cou ts to prosecute offici als of the former
regime who collaborated in the commission of crimes
against the Iraq i people and h u m anity and to e xact
r
just punishment of those who a e convicted of such
crimes.
The Governing Council has now set up a committee to
create these specialized courts. We at the Coalition
Provision Authority completely support these actions by
the Government Council. We work daily with them
providing advice and assistance on how such a tribunal
might function.
Additionally, Coalition holds 34 senior members of
Saddam’s regime. When the Governing Council opens
the Special Courts we will turn over these 34 prisoners.
* * *
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Convicted criminals are often sent to prison as
punishment for their crime and as a means of protecting
society.
Here too there is progress. Although many of the Iraq’s
151 prisons were badly damaged, many are now open ad
operating, often with funds made available by local
Coalition commanders. We are also rebuilding prisons
to humane standards.
While many prisons are not yet open, there is one kind
of prison Iraq should never see again—the secret prison.
We know that secret prisons existed under Saddam.
The very fact that they were secret makes it hard for us
to be certain how many there are and where they are.
We think most of them were underground and in rural
areas, though some were in the city.
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However many secret prisons we find, whatever
atrocities were committed there, you may be sure of one
thing:
Imprisonment without cause, imprisonment in secret
places, ended with Saddam and his Baathist thugs.
In a few cases, we are keeping unusually dangerous
prisoners, mostly Saddam’s henchmen, in separate
detention facilities. But these places are very different
from Saddam’s secret torture chambers. The
International Committee of the Red Cross is permitted
access to any prisoner anywhere in Iraq at any time. We
encourage their visits so that an independent
organization can verify that all prisoners are humanely
treated. Additionally, we are developing a tracking
system which will permit family members and friends to
obtain information about prisoners.
* * *
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In closing, I want to say again that we understand the
desire of you, the Iraqi people, to end your fear of both
political oppression and the depredations of common
criminals.
We are going to remove that fear from your lives.
Drafted: D.R. Hamilton
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