[rcecale]

Iraqi Police in Fallujah, in response to a murder and intimidation campaign against them by insurgents, formed a Special Missions Group to hunt down, capture or kill terrorists in this city. The platoon-sized team recently finished initial training with Marine police advisors here and will soon be on the hunt.

Iraqi cops once feared to patrol the streets of their own city. Not now. No longer will insurgents freely target Iraqi Police for assassination in their homes. Now, Iraqi Police Special Missions Group will target them.

The Special Missions Group was created by Iraqi Police in Fallujah after several attacks by terrorists against police in their homes. After one well-respected Iraqi Police captain was killed by an improvised explosive device, Iraqi Police approached their Marine advisors with the idea of forming the group. They just needed Marines to assist in the training.

The training was headed up by a Marine Reserve staff sergeant who serves in the FBI when he's not in a Marine uniform. He has an extensive law enforcement background, in particular with the sort of training the Iraqi Police were seeking. Due to the sensitive nature of his work with the FBI, his name is being withheld from this report.

"Their leadership asked for help to create a team to go on the offensive against the insurgents," said the staff sergeant who serves as a Fallujah police advisor. "The men they chose for this team were men through their leadership and trust demonstrated bravery in the past."

Some of the Iraqi Police in the unit are former Iraqi Army soldiers. Others are fresh, young police academy graduates. They all had a couple things in common. They volunteered to join the elite unit and did it to rid their city of terrorists.

"We're doing this because we want to save our city," said one Iraqi Policemen through an interpreter. "The terrorists have killed a lot of police. One policeman was killed, and then they went into his home and killed his mother. Why give them that chance? We want to face them and kill them."



Randy