In the Shadow of the Swords

A entertaining insight into how retired American Police Officers helped rebuild the Iraqi National Police.

Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the subsequent fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein, the U.S. government embarked upon a reconstruction effort which included rebuilding an Iraqi National Police. Retired and former American Police Officers were contracted to travel to Iraq to train this new police force. Dependent on their experience and ingenuity to make life bearable under very austere conditions, and relying on the "gallows sense of humour" they had acquired during their time in law enforcement back in the States, the instructors persevered in their task, often under trying and difficult circumstances, as well as hostile fire from insurgents determined to prevent the Iraqi police from regaining control of the streets of Baghdad.

Life at the Police Academy varied from sheer boredom to moments of terror as mortars and rockets rained in. Leaving the academy to travel through the streets of Baghdad to the Green Zone for meetings could easily result in being ambushed. D. W. Wilber recounts his experiences as part of this effort, and the unique personalities who came to Baghdad to serve as instructors to the Iraqi Police Cadets attending the Baghdad Police Academy.

About the Author

Wilber served as a Police Officer in St. Louis County, Missouri for 12 years. He also worked for the CIA as an undercover employee overseas for approximately eight years, and then did contract work for the government and the Special Operations community for over fifteen years. He has also consulted and provided training to foreign governments in Counterterrorism in the Middle East and in Eastern and Western Europe. He is a conservative columnist with several hundred columns published.

He is also a regular guest on radio programs, and has been a guest a number of times on 'The Dr. Drew Show' on KABC in Los Angeles.