Courtesy Photo | Capt. Kevin Landtroop, a judge advocate for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry...... read more read more
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By Spc. Ricardo Branch
1st Brigade Combat Team
3rd Infantry Division
RAMADI, Iraq – They sat at a long table peering over the lists of detainees. The questions flew from each side, "Why is this man being detained?" and "Is he being prosecuted for more?"
For the Soldiers and Iraqis working the cases, this is all part of the process to reestablish law once again for the citizens of Ramadi.
The Raider legal team and the Iraqi investigators latest effort is to review evidence in criminal cases to present to judges next week.
"There hasn't been a felony trial here since before the war started," said Capt. Kevin Landtroop, a judge advocate for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. "When you look at the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Ramadi, one of those pieces is respect for the rule of law."
The 31-year-old Austin, Texas, native said that they've been collection the evidence for upcoming prosecutions for a little over a month from seven police stations.
"There are seven Iraqi police stations that can hold detainees," Landtroop said. "We're traveling to them to see which suspects have the most evidence against them, so we can recommend them to Iraqi judges for prosecution."
He said they look over the confession and witness statements for evidence, which is the most anyone can get in a country where forensics, and laboratory analysis is unheard of, or almost nonexistent.
"It's really the best you can hope for when you don't have the opportunity to search homes because of danger, lack of resources, or other pressures," Landtroop said.
He said much like U.S. cops, Iraqi police want the same things but have a much tougher time at it.
"The fact is cops are cops, and Iraqi cops are no different," Landtroop said. "They want to find the guys who are committing crimes, posing a threat and arrest them. Not everybody who has a hand in the policing system here is on the same side though."
He said in Ramadi, policemen may get influenced by local leaders in their area.
"A lot of times specific people not in the station will have a hand in the detaining of someone, sometimes without specific evidence. Police station commanders can risk their authority, and control in their district by releasing someone ordered detained by another outside the station. That's why they are clamoring for judges. If a judge releases someone, it's not on the police."
Col. Hammed Ajaj, the assistant deputy commander of the Tameem Iraqi Police Station said the accusations against suspects require him and his men to do a lot of police work for cases.
"We have to do a thorough background check for each of our suspects," he said. "Most of the time we go for information from three sources before we build a case. It's rewarding for us out here doing this job because we want to protect our families, ensure security and expel all terrorists from our city."
Landtroop believes that their work for trials can approach a judge very soon but for now the Raider legal will continue to do their job assisting their Iraqi counterparts.
"We're helping the police show the people that they can maintain order without concrete barriers, without armored trucks, and without using rifles," Landtroop said. "The way that they have to do that is by showing that everyone has to comply with the law."
The job is not easy.
There are still pockets of violence in Ramadi, but the Raider legal team and Iraqi investigators continue gathering the evidence and building the cases so locals can see hope and the reestablishment of law once more in their city.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2007 12:41 |
| Story ID: | 10287 |
| Location: | RAMADI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 600 |
| Downloads: | 565 |
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