US Denies Plans to Scrap Massive Iraqi Police Training Program

Multi-Billion Dollar Program a Disaster, Officials Note

The US Embassy in Baghdad is denying reports that it is on the verge of scrapping the enormously expensive police training program, which has come under repeated fire as a disastrous failure and a money sink.

The Police Development Programme is a vital part of the US-Iraqi relationship,” insisted embassy spokesman Michael McClellan, adding that it was vital to help Iraqis “protect their sovereignty.”

The New York Times had reported that the multi-billion dollar program was on the verge of being scrapped entirely by the State Department, after several “miscalculations” and a soaring price tag.

The Times report cited former officials in the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), who said that Iraqi officials have been refusing to attend the sessions anyhow because they “saw little benefit.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.