BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An Iraqi police brigade is being pulled off the streets of Baghdad because of its apparent complicity with death squads, according to a U.S. military spokesman.
The Ministry of Interior announced a recall of the 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police, said U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell.
The brigade was pulled after a brazen kidnapping of 24 people on Sunday. Some Sunnis blamed Shiite death squads and criticized Iraqi security forces.
There is "clear evidence that there was some complicity in allowing death squad elements to move freely when, in fact, they were supposed to have been impeding their movement; that perhaps they did not respond as rapidly when reports were made," Caldwell said.
The brigade police officers "had not put their full allegiance commitment behind the government of Iraq," and instead, aligned with "some other elements outside" of the national police, he said.
The government lost "trust and confidence" in the unit because of "poor performances" and "alleged criminal wrongdoings," said Caldwell.
The brigade will get "anti-militia, anti-sectarian violence, and national unity training, both at the unit level and at the individual level," he said.
Well, what can I say? The Iraqi units I trained used the skills and training we provided to kill possibly hundreds of innocent people. So much for anything good comming from this tour..
