Rumsfeld inspects Iraqi security forces
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U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, right, meets new Iraqi civil defense recruits Monday in Baghdad.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld received a firsthand look Monday at Iraqi security forces, but coalition officials told him the Iraqis are not ready yet to secure the country on their own.
The point was driven home late Monday when coalition officials -- citing security concerns -- limited Rumsfeld's visit at a police training facility to a small group accompanied by a single cameraman traveling in armored vehicles. Coalition officials barred the press corps' nonarmored buses from the trip.
Police facilities have been a frequent target of insurgent attacks in recent weeks. The most recent attack came Monday when a car bomb at a police station in the northern city of Kirkuk killed eight police officers, U.S. military officials said.
Rumsfeld was on his fourth visit to Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
Coalition spokesman Dan Senor said Monday that while Iraqi security forces play an invaluable role linking the coalition to the Iraqi people, they are not yet fully equipped or trained.
"It is clear that right now the Iraqi security forces are not capable of conducting independent protection of this country," Senor said. "But they know the culture. This is their country. This is their people. They can find much better [intelligence]. They're more trusted than coalition forces."
Earlier this month, the coalition said the U.S. Army division taking command of Baghdad in April will be a more mobile, less obtrusive force. The 1st Cavalry Division, which takes over from the 1st Armored Division, will patrol a larger area with fewer troops, according to the military. Part of the aim is to cut down on attacks against U.S. soldiers and to allow the Iraqi police and security forces to fill the gap, the military said.
But coalition forces are prepared to work with Iraqi security forces until they are able to fend for themselves, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said.
Kimmitt and Senor couldn't say how long that might be, but the Pentagon has started to shift the role of its forces in Iraq from security to support.
L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. civilian administrator, said it remains to be seen what arrangement the coalition will have with a sovereign Iraq.
"It is clear that no matter how well we do in building up the Iraqi security forces, they will not be able to deal with the security threat that exists," Bremer said. "The coalition that we have now will transform itself from an occupation to a partnership. We will be invited guests to help the Iraqis secure their future."
Iraqis, he said, understand the need for coalition troops to remain in their country after the transfer of power.
Senor added that the Iraqis understandably don't like being under occupation but they are concerned about security.
Rumsfeld does not want U.S. forces in places where they are not welcome, according to Senor.
But the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, other leaders across the country and people on the street clearly "want a role for U.S. forces post-June 30," Senor said, referring to the scheduled date for the handover of political power.
