Help us in our battle, urges Baghdad police chief

Baghdad’s top police officer today urged international law enforcement chiefs to help him win a fierce battle to restore order on his city’s streets.

With Iraq still gripped by violence and kidnappings, Major General Jamal Abdullaah sought the advice of senior officers gathered for a conference in Belfast.

He said: “I need to prove to the world that the police, we are the good guys and I need their help to help us jump up and be equal to the world.”

Major General Abdullaah told how dangerous criminals had been exploiting the uncertainty in his war-torn city.

He controls a force of 14,000 officers attempting to cope with a population of five million. Before he was toppled, Saddam Hussein released from jail more than 100,000 “very bad criminals”.

“You can guess the situation with them now in Iraq.”

As he attempts to deal with serious outbreaks of lawlessness, Major General Abdullaah accepted an invitation to attend the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference.

During the three-day event, he hopes to learn about new technologies and methods deployed by other police services.

“Without the coalition support it’s very dangerous to do our job,” he added.

“But this is our country and I’m sure all of the citizens will help and support us when they know we are moving in the right direction.”