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| Iraq |
| Iraqi Police Chief Ousted After Helping U.S. Rebuild Force |
| 2003-05-26 |
| Another Baathist sob story - cry me a river He spent three weeks helping U.S. forces rebuild Baghdad's police department — but now he's gotten the boot. One of Baghdad's highest-ranking police officials has been fired in a purge of Baath Party members from top government positions. U.S. officials say Abdul Razak al-Abbassi led the west Baghdad police force. He was key to coaxing officers to return to work and rebuild their looted station houses, while restarting patrols in a city under siege from car-jackers and looters. Even an American military police commander concedes al-Abbassi was "very cooperative" and "very competent." But because he belonged to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, he can't hold any of the three top positions in an Iraqi government bureaucracy. He could hold a lower-level job. there you have it - he could have a job, just not in authority The move to oust al-Abbassi came after some Baghdad officers complained. A replacement was sworn in Monday. |
| Posted by:Frank G |