New cars handed over to police in southern Iraq

The first tranche of over 800 new police cars for the Iraqi Police Service (IPS) funded by the United Kingdom were handed over at a ceremony at Shaibah Logistic Base recently.

One of the 800 new iraqi police cars [Photo: MND (SE)]

Paid for by the British Osiris fund, set up by the British Government to help equip the Iraqi Security Forces, the cars will provide the IPS with a much-needed mobility to enable them to police more effectively.

The cars were handed over by General Officer Commanding Multi-National Division (South East), Major General John Cooper, to police chiefs from the three of the south eastern provinces that the division is responsible for.

In handing over the cars, General Cooper said:

"The new cars will serve to increase the IPS patrolling capabilities and go a long way to improving the security situation, particularly in the troubled Basra region.

"This increased capability will help bring the prospect of transition to Provincial Iraqi Control, as highlighted in a statement by Prime Minister al-Maliki, even closer.

"The project represents cooperation between the Iraqi and British at all levels from the governments to the soldiers on the ground. Look after them, and we look forward to continuing to work together to provide the security which will underpin sovereignty and allow Iraq the prosperity it rightly deserves."

General Cooper hands over the keys [Photo: MND (SE)]

Major General John Cooper handed over the ignition keys of one car for each province (Dhi Qar, Maysan and Al Basrah) to the Chief of Police and a driver and then joined them in trying out the new vehicles before the police drivers drove them away.

The cars are part of an ongoing programme to reequip the Iraqi Defence Forces, which saw the Iraqi Army receiving new armoured personnel carriers at the end of May, and which are already seeing service on the streets of Basra.