UPDATE 12-20-2008: This story seems to be complete bullshit. I apologize for running it, but everyone did. I shouldn’t behave like the old media, but I did. I apologize especially to Major General Milano who knew nothing because there was nothing to know.

Reports coming out of Baghdad that over twenty employees of the Ministry of the Interior have been arrested. While the accusations vary slightly, it appears that they are charged with attempting to revive Saddam’s Baath Party and potentially initiate a coup.

More than 20 officers of the Iraqi Interior Ministry were arrested this week over alleged links to the outlawed al-Awda party, a successor to the Baath Party, a ministry spokesman said Thursday.

The highest-ranking person taken into custody was a brigadier general, according to Maj. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf. He said the others were low-ranking officers.

The Interior Ministry oversees policing, border enforcement and internal security.

Al-Awda is a successor to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party, which was banned after the former Iraqi leader’s ouster during the U.S. military invasion in 2003. The party ruled Iraq for 35 years.

Khalaf said judicial authorities detained 23 officers and were questioning them.

A second Interior Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said at least 32 ministry employees were arrested between Monday and Wednesday. He had no information on the reasons behind the detentions.

CNN

Stories vary as to numbers arrested and ranks involved.

I just got off the phone with MG James M. Milano, Deputy Commanding General Directorate of Interior Affairs, Multi-National Security Transition Command. He refers all inquiries to the Iraqi government. He told us that the extent of his knowledge was what was in the NY Times this morning. He would not comment on his personal observations of the MoI or the coup allegations.

Today’s Bloggers’ Roundtable was with Col. Larry Saunders, Director, Baghdad Police College Transition Team and Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Interior Vice Deputy. He was very patient and gave us a detailed review of the structure and training of the Iraqi police as it is currently constituted.

There are three main components of the security forces under the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior

• the Iraqi Police Service, IPS – 240,000 – These are the local police, recruited and stationed near their homes.
• Border Police – 80,000
• Iraqi National Police – 130,000. These are a paramilitary force similar to a combination of a state police force and a National Guard Military Police.

The basic IPS recruit, or shirta, will be trained in either a four or eight week course. The longer course ends at 1 pm daily. The shirta is not a police officer as we know it. He is similar to the auxiliaries that many police departments in the United States have. Only officers in the IPS can make arrests. Enlisted IPS have 6 ranks, to the equivalent of staff sergeant. Many shirta have no high school.

The IPS is recruited and assigned locally. That means that the IPS reflects the sectarian and ethnic makeup of its locality.

For Iraqis with high school, there are more options in the police force. There are two levels of high school degree and the lower level can join as a commissioner. There are eight ranks for commissioner and there is additional training at level 5.

About 1,000 Sons of Iraq just completed the basic shirta course in al Anbar Province.

Officers must have the higher high school degree. They are sent to a three year university program and receive a university degree.

For those officer positions that are support and not line, there are other options. There is a nine month officer course with no degree. A long tenured commissioner at level 4 can take a one year course, with no degree. These men would be serving in administrative and support roles.

One prior service course has been run. It took 1,700 men with prior service in the police or military.

Officers in the National Police cannot be assigned to their home province. Great effort is being made to ensure that the NP is non sectarian.

The Iraqis have implemented an NP officer selection process that interviews the candidates three times, once each by boards chaired by a Christian, a Shia and a Sunni. The combined scores are used to select the successful candidates, and the desire is to eliminate any sectarian bias in the NP officer corps.

Col. Saunders talked about the future of the Iraqi Police, as well. The MoI is now moving to concentrate on the professionalism of the police force. They are satisfied with the present size of the force. A three year plan is being developed by the Iraqis that will guide future training as well as allied mentoring programs. It will focus on core police competencies, leadership, and administration and planning.

Saunders see the Iraqi situation as improving but delicate. He believes the police will need 5-10 more years of mentoring. Several different agencies are currently doing so and coordination is important. NATO has a police training mission. The British have two different groups involved. The Danes are joining Col. Saunders’s Americans shortly.

Col. Saunders stressed that the Iraqis are leading the development of their police force. Westerners are there to mentor and advise but the Iraqis are making the process their own.