Iraq

Iraq is a nation in the Middle East bordering the Persian Gulf; Iran to the east; Kuwait to the southeast; Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria to the west; [Page 419]and Turkey to the north. Although there are no recent reliable estimates of drug use in Iraq, observers believe that rates of illicit drug use remain relatively low. However, given the political turmoil that followed the 2003 American-led invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has emerged as a major conduit of the drug trade originating from Afghanistan en route to Western Europe and Africa. The illicit drug trade will continue to threaten Iraq's national security for many years to come. Recently, several reports document that Iraq's insurgency uses drug trafficking as a means of financing its operations. Both the United States and other international agencies continue to work relentlessly with the current Iraqi government to improve border control and law enforcement.

Unfortunately, police and other law enforcement officials still lack adequate resources and substantial training to confront the emergence of Iraq's thriving drug market. Statistics are hard to obtain in Iraq, but the central government claims that an increasing number of traffickers have been caught at border crossings with Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Kuwait. Some of the problems confronting Iraq's border control units are insufficient personnel and persistent fuel shortages that paralyze border patrol agents for weeks on end. Further, the gas shortages leave border control stations without electricity and without fuel for power generators.

Iraq has tried to overcome these shortcomings. Between 2003 and 2004, Iraq nearly doubled its border police and customs inspectors from 12,000 to 23,000. Iraq's Department of Border Enforcement also established a new and extensive training program to produce a professional and well-equipped border patrol. By 2006 nearly 18,000 personnel had received training on such subjects as border security tactics, firearms training, vehicle search techniques, and basic customs training. Today, Iraq's border guards exceed 43,000 and are expected to increase to 56,000 in the near future.