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Security Still Most Serious Concern for U.S. Forces in Iraq

Thursday, May 15, 2003
By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

During his briefing, Rumsfeld said that he tracks the situation on the ground in 27 metropolitan areas in Iraq. Many of those areas are now better off than they were before fighting began there, he said. In particular, Bremer mentioned, water quality in Basra is "better than it has been in years," and more Iraqis have access to electricity than they did while Hussein was in power.

Troops from the 3rd Infantry Division are working diligently to remove weapons and ammunition from the city. Maj. Gen. David Blount, division commander, described the city as a "big weapons store."
Image Credit: Jim Garamone -- AFIS

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
Security is currently the most serious concern of U.S. forces in Iraq, and commanders are taking substantial steps to stem lawlessness, several American officials said today.

Maj. Gen. Buford Blount, commander of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, which is responsible for maintaining the peace in and around Baghdad, said 90 percent of the problems his unit deals with stem from common criminals. The rest comes from attacks by forces loyal to deposed dictator Saddam Hussein, he said in a video teleconference from Baghdad with reporters in the Pentagon.

Also, in a Baghdad news conference today, Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, the career diplomat President Bush sent to act as Iraq's civil administrator, noted that shortly before the war began, Hussein released more than 100,000 prisoners in a nationwide amnesty.

"Many of these people were political prisoners, but many of them were common, violent criminals," he said. "It's time the criminals were back in jail, and that's where we'll put them." He added that U.S. forces in Iraq have arrested 300 criminals in the past two days.

Coalition forces are working hard to give authority back to Iraqi police forces. About 7,000 Iraqi police officers have returned to work, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld noted during a Pentagon press conference today. "And that number should also increase in the days ahead," he said.
(More: DefenseLINK.mil)
2003 © U.S. Department of Defense.

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