Washington to partner with Baghdad on police training starting next Oct.

BAGHDAD, March 18 (KUNA) -- The United States will join the Iraqi government for police training and development of Iraqi policemen, a statement issued by the US embassy in Iraq said on Friday.
The US Department of State, in partnership with the Government of Iraq, will assume full responsibility for police development training on October 1, 2011, as the US reduces its military presence in Iraq, the embassy said in a statement.
The statement was issued as US Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs William R. Brownfield concluded his three-day visit to the country.
During his first trip, Brownfield met with senior Iraqi and US government officials in Baghdad, Basra, and Irbil, and reviewed preparations for the US transition from military to civilian criminal justice assistance programs later this year.
Brownfield toured police and judicial facilities, including the Baghdad Police College, and met with a wide range of US and Iraqi officials, including Council of Representatives Speaker Osama Al-Nujaifi, Iraqi Senior Deputy Minister of the Interior Adnan Al-Asadi, Minister of Justice Hussein Al-Shammari, Chief Justice Medhat Al-Mahmoud, and Kurdish Regional Government Minister of Interior Karim Sinjari, and US Ambassador James Jeffrey.
"The US will also expand its other criminal justice programs focusing on court administration, judicial capacity building, public integrity, judicial security, and corrections management, as well as drug demand reduction," the statement added. (end) mhg.mb KUNA 182121 Mar 11NNNN