Police go on search operation and recover weapons

Описание: (12 Nov 2003)

1. Iraqi police walking down street
2. Iraqi police walking into house
3. Iraqi police officer searching drawers in house
4. Close up of Iraqi police officer's hand going through drawer
5. Set up shot of Lieutenant Colonel Steve Russell, Battalion Commander for 1/22 Infantry, talking to Iraqi police
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lieutenant Colonel Steve Russell, Battalion Commander for 1/22 Infantry:
"The fact that we see an effective police force doing police activity, that we see the civil defence soldiers, the recruitment of those going very well and the government agencies at work, it's obviously a sign that things are well in control of the Iraqis and headed in that direction in Tikrit."
7. Wide of weapons and ammunition on ground
8. Close up of rockets on ground
9. Close up of ammunition
10. Iraqi police officer unloading magazine of bullets
11. Close up of officer's hands unloading magazine
12. Cutaway of General Muzhir
13. SOUNDBITE (English): General Hamed Muzhir, Iraqi Chief of Police:
"Iraq needs police, needs an army. American forces stand by, but every country in the world needs police, needs an army, needs anything else, because this is our country."
14. US soldier with seized rifle
15. Group of Iraqi police officers


STORYLINE:

Hundreds of Iraqi police went on a door-to-door search early on Wednesday in a suburb of Saddam Hussein's hometown, looking for weapons and insurgents.

Nearly the entire 500-member police force of Tikrit was involved in the search in the northern suburb of Qadisiyah.

A convoy of US troops watched but stayed back and let the Iraqis handle the search themselves.

Hamed Muzhir, the local Police Chief said he asked the Americans to provide a backup force in case of an emergency but wanted to show that his police could control their own town.

During the search, the Iraqi police officers recovered rockets, RPG (rocked propelled grenade) launchers, rifles and some looted typewriters. The weapons are expected to be destroyed.

Pistol belts, which were also found during the searches, are to be shared between the Iraqi police and the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps for their own use.

Some people were detained during the operation, but it is thought they will be released after questioning.

According to the US military, it was the first time the Iraqi police had taken the lead on a large-scale operation and carried it out themselves.

Tikrit, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Baghdad, has been a hotbed of anti-American sentiment. Attacks against coalition forces have intensified in recent weeks in the region.

The area that was searched is near where a US Black Hawk helicopter went down on Friday, killing six US soldiers. US officers believe it was shot down.

Following the crash, US forces dropped bombs and fired mortars at the region near the crash site in a show of force aimed at discouraging future attacks. Three buildings which insurgents were believed to use for shelter were destroyed.

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