Baghdad
The U.S. military has overhauled control of Iraqi police forces, in an attempt to stop units from operating as death squads. Many of the recent massacres across the country were perpetrated by men wearing police uniforms. “There are some individuals who have joined the ranks of the Ministry of Interior forces who still have allegiances and are in fact working with their militias,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Peterson, the top U.S. trainer of Iraqi police. Other killers, though, may have been militants who merely dressed as police. Under the new system, police battalions will all receive new, standardized uniforms that will be harder to fake, and they will be responsible for closely monitoring their equipment and vehicles.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
Crossword: October 19, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
