U.S. to Enlist Iraqis in a Civil Defense Force

U.S. military commanders plan to train and arm thousands of Iraqis to conduct military missions alongside U.S. and British troops in an effort to restore security and quell resistance by forces loyal to ousted President Saddam Hussein, the new head of the U.S. Central Command said Saturday.

“The Iraqis want to be in the fight,” Army Gen. John Abizaid said. “We intend to get them in the fight.”

Speaking at the Central Command’s regional headquarters here, Abizaid said it “will take years” to create a new, professional Iraqi army.

“In the interim, we need civil defense forces that can operate with coalition forces, and eventually alone,” he said.

An Iraqi-staffed private security organization announced last week would guard banks and other key sites, but the civil defense units described by Abizaid would be actively involved in joint military missions with occupation forces.

Initial U.S. plans call for establishing about 10 battalions of about 350 Iraqis each in the coming weeks, a senior Central Command official said. Each battalion would be “sponsored” by a U.S. division or regiment, which would train the Iraqi recruits and operate in tandem with them.

Iraq’s new 25-member governing council discussed the creation of an Iraqi civil defense force at meetings last week and broadly supported the concept, according to council members.

The idea of forming such a force was advocated by former exiles. Ahmad Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress, said the force would help to meet demands from both Iraqi civilians and U.S. commanders to reduce the presence of American troops on the streets of Baghdad and other large cities.