Iraqi police infiltrated by militia, UK arms chief says
Iraq-Iran-UK, Politics, 10/20/2005

The UK's most senior army officer said on Thursday that Iraqi police had been infiltrated by local militia groups trying to take over control of cities from British troops, an IRNA report said.

The report said: "It is clear to some degree the local police have been infiltrated by people whose loyalty is to some sectarian groups and not the people as whole," the Chief of General Staff General Sir Michael Jackson said.

Reports have suggested that the infiltration has been widespread.

Last month, Iraq's National Security Adviser Muwafaq al-Rubaie said there were problems "in many parts of Iraq" but he had no idea how far the services had been undermined.

Jackson, who has just returned from visiting southern Iraq, said that the "true level of incidents was anything we want" adding that British troops were taking steps alongside the Iraqis themselves "to put this right." Speaking in an interview on BBC Radio Four's Today programme, he refused to put any number on the size of the infiltrations, saying that he did not think he could usefully speculate and did not have sufficient accurate information.

He rejected claims that the insurgents were influenced by Iran, saying that they had "no loyalty to Iran per se." Hew also did not believe that the Iranian government or any particular organizations were involved.

"There seems to be some evidence that there are some, some elements from across the border are interfering in the circumstances of a neighbouring state," the Chief of General Staff said.

"I do not ascribe this to the (Iranian) government per se necessarily or to any particular group because it is quite a difficult situation, it is complex," he said.

The general said that there "seems to be some evidence of interfering" that was reprehensible and that it was clearly "for political purpose, for influence." His reserved comments conflict with the views of some British Ministers, in particular with Middle East Minister Kim Howells, who insisted last week there was "no question that there has been at least Revolutionary Guard involvement" in southern Iraq.

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