Cablegate: Disturbance Among Iraqi Police Trainees at Jiptc

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

111423Z Jun 05

UNCLAS AMMAN 004664

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR DS COMMAND CENTER, DS/IP/NEA, NEA/EX, INL;
BAGHDAD FOR INL AND CENTCOM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC IZ JO
SUBJECT: DISTURBANCE AMONG IRAQI POLICE TRAINEES AT JIPTC

REF: DS/CC AND RSO AMMAN TELECONS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY

1. SUMMARY: On the evening of June 10, Iraqi police
officers and police cadets at the Jordanian International
Police Training Center (JIPTC) engaged in unruly and at times
violent conduct over the course of three hours. Several
hundred trainees damaged thirty vehicles, broke windows of
four administrative buildings, and injured six JIPTC security
personnel and one Jordanian police officer. The trainees
returned to their barracks after GOJ police responded and
calmed the situation through negotiations. A firearm stolen
from a Jordanian police vehicle was subsequently recovered.
JIPTC resumed a modified training schedule June 11, and
expects to return to normal operations June 12. END SUMMARY

2. JIPTC, a facility run by State/INL and DoD utilizes
international police officers/contractors and GOJ police
officers to train Iraqi police cadets. Of the 3,000 Iraqis
presently training at JIPTC, approximately 1,300 of them are
active duty Iraqi police, who are receiving their basic
police training for the first time.

3. On Friday June 10 from approximately 2200 hours to 0100
hours June 11, an estimated 1,500 Iraqi police and police
cadets became disorderly; roughly 400 of these played an
active role in the destruction of property and assaults on
security personnel. As a result of the riot, thirty official
and personal vehicles were damaged, and windows were broken
in four JIPTC administrative buildings. Six JIPTC security
personnel (contracted through DynCorp) and one GOJ police
officer suffered minor injuries after rioters hit them with
rocks or physically assaulted them.

4. The disturbances may have grown out of rumors circulating
in the camp that cadets returning overland to their homes in
Iraq had been attacked by insurgents, and by fear that four
trainees in the infirmary were about to be dismissed and also
sent home overland. A large group of cadets removed these
four from the infirmary, and, emboldened by this success,
began stoning buildings and vehicles. However, senior
Jordanian police officials have expressed doubt that the
rumored insurgent attack was the true reason for the riot,
and are conducting investigations.

5. GOJ security responded in force but opted to calm the
situation through negotiations rather than to actively
confront the rioters. After discussions with the GOJ police
were held, the rioters returned to their barracks. It was
later discovered that a weapon was stolen during the riot
from a severely damaged GOJ police vehicle. Consequently,
the JIPTC telephone tree was activated to advise all
international police trainers to avoid the center until
further notice. After addressing the trainees, JIPTC staff
was successful in recovering the weapon with all of its
ammunition.

6. The situation in JIPTC is presently calm. Iraqi trainees
were put through a full day of marching drills and physical
training June 11. Some were authorized to proceed on a
previously-scheduled educational field trip, with Jordanian
security escorts as is normal practice. International police
trainers will return to JIPTC June 12, and the center will
proceed with a full normal training schedule. JIPTC staff
and GOJ police will continue efforts to find those
responsible for the riot and to prevent a similar event from
occurring. JIPTC staff will proceed cautiously, however, to
avoid inciting further disruptions.
HENZEL

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