Increased security training for border staff

A team of US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents has been deployed inside Iraq to train border security staff enabling them to control entry points into the country and improve security, which remains problematic. One thousand five hundred border guards attended the first day of training at the new camp on Monday. The country has suffered major security problems following the conflict in 2003, which led to the arrival of large numbers of foreign terrorists affecting stability in the country, according to US officials. A camp has been built inside Iraq so that trainers from the CBP can offer their knowledge and support to those who have not had a chance to receive tuition outside Iraq. The new facility is designed to complement the efforts of a similar scheme run at the Jordanian International Police Training Centre (JIPTC) camp in neighbouring Jordan. More than 2,100 Iraqi border control officers have already been trained there since August 2004. The programme is intended to deny saboteurs, terrorists and weapons smugglers from easy access to Iraq across national borders. The training includes border security tactics, human rights issues, defensive tactical training, weapons training and vehicle search techniques in addition to basic customs and immigration matters. Col. Maj. John Brant, a Coalition force official, told IRIN that the programme was badly needed for Iraqi borders and should be conducted on a regular basis in order to provide more qualified staff for border control, particularly for when US troops leave. "The insurgents were taking advantage of the disorganisation at Iraqi borders but with trained agents and modern equipment we can say that entrance in the country is going to be complicated but safe for Iraqis," Brant explained. As the country prepares itself for a new government, the trained border officials will start putting their skills into action with new equipment such as X-ray machines and special devices for searching trucks and civilian cars. Deputy Minister of Interior, Sabah Kadham, told IRIN in Baghdad that it was not enough to close borders when there was an emergency situation in the country, but that investments should be made to guarantee constant security. "Unfortunately we need better border security since the last war when borders were left open for more than three months, but we hope that with new improvements and training we will bring back security to the country," Kadham added. Entry points to the capital and provinces are also going to be subject to special security measures.