Policing Iraq -- To Protect and Serve

Carrick at Say Anything notes an interesting perspective on the problem of policing in Iraq.

Citing an Arabic newspaper article on the subject he writes:

Haider points out that traditionally, security forces in the Middle East are not there to protect and serve the populace but to prop up and protect the elite upper class. Part of the reindoctrination that is being provided by the American forces is to shift the mindset of the security forces "from the old 'dominate and oppress' philosophy to that of 'serve and protect.'"

With this changed mindset has come a new relationship between the security forces and the people, one that may become a new model for other Arabs and their own security force. Evidence of the new found trust of the Iraqi people towards their new people is seen in the willingness, as Haider points out, of the Iraqi people to come to their security forces with information on the insurgency.

Once again, what we are seeing is a shift to a new paradigm, where Iraq is providing a new model for a democratized and egalitarian society to replace the post-Colonial model of authoritarian Arabic governments with a ruling elite class, that have been such a fertile ground for spawning terrorism.

Read it here.