Iraqi Civil Defense Corps recruits women security enforcers

Producer: Melanie Yip.
First broadcast: 24 May 04, Radio Singapore International

More women in Iraq are taking on new roles, as security enforcers.

In a country where women abide by the role of traditional home-makers, many women in Iraq are recruited by the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, or ICDC, where they undergo basic weaponry training and first aid.

This training comes under the watchful eye of US troops, in the run up to the June 30 hand-over date.

Does Iraq have a history of recruiting women in military forces?

Melanie Yip put the question to Alexei Muraviev, a Defense and Security expert at Curtin University in Australia.

AM: Well, under the Saddam regime, women were recruited into the paramilitary force in various capacities and bearing in mind, during the Saddam regime, Iraq was more of a secular state rather than an Islamic state. Women had a role to play in the security apparatus. In fact, some of the special forces units, including paramilitary and special operations were manned by women, in part because having women involved in these activities created an element of surprise.

What is the rationale behind recruiting women in Iraq's new paramilitary force now?

AM: I think the principle rationale is the shortage of men willing to take up the job. Even before the Sh'iite rebellion that started effectively in April. The American coalition had serious problems manning units of the new Iraqi defense force. Morale was low, and given the fact that man of the men were labeled as collaborators by the Iraqi people. There was little incentive for them to remain in the force, plus, the monthly wages that were paid were quite low, by Iraqi standards. And, the Sh'iite rebellion demonstrated that these units not only have low morale, but also some people in the units cannot be trusted in terms of their loyalty to the coalition or the new Iraqi government. There was a great degree of desertion, and the paramilitary regulars were changing sides. They actually joined the rebellion, instead of helping to fight off the rebellions with the Americans and other coalition forces.

What kind of role will they play in the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, a US trained paramilitary force?

AM: I assume they will take up some role in the Iraqi police. I don't think they will end up in the front line similar to the American experience where women in the US military can be fighters, front liners, soldiers, or even play combat roles. I don't think it can apply in the Iraqi case , given that fact that Iraq is still an Arab society, and with the growth of Islamic sentiments, the role of women will be very limited. It remains to be seen how these women will be viewed in Iraq.

However, the security jobs come with some risks since part of the Iraqi society views the women as American collaborators, and this will make them soft target. What are your views on this?

AM: I think that any Iraqis that currently collaborate with the Americans or have embraced the new regime, in various capacities, is a soft target as you rightly pointed out. In this respect, women who take up new security jobs or be part of the emerging new security force of Iraq will inevitably be targeted by the paramilitary, whether they are supporters of Saddam , international terrorist groups, or insurgents that are fighting coalitions troops.

These women, who undergo basic weaponry and first aid training, will be employed at checkpoints, and search suspects during raids on homes. Do you see their security responsibilities broadening, maybe the likes of G.I Jane, by taking on heavier security responsibilities?

AM: It depends on the performance of the female security personnels, and how they are going to handle the situation, the issues of dealing with Iraqi males, especially in the context of reconfiguration of women's placings in the Iraqi society, due to the rise of Islamic extremism. I think for the time being, they will be assigned to some secondary roles in the security aspects of Iraq.

What does this say about the changing role of women in an Islamic society?

AM: It is an interesting development. On the one hand, the American or coalition troops try to introduce elements of Western democracy in the Arab society and that coincides with the growth of Islamic extremism. These two processes are contradictory by nature. So we will see the situation where women are being caught in the crossfire of confronting ideologies. Obviously, we want to think that women will have more active roles to play in the new Iraq, they certainly played some role under Saddam. And the danger now is the role of women in the Islamic world being reduced to housekeeper. The success of failure of this experiment where women are hired as part of the security force will determine the future of Iraq and form the social configuration of the new Iraq society.