Seems like I've seen this article before, however, it was posted yesterday...

https://news.xinhuanet.com/english/wo..._131350788.htm

Iraqi PM calls for speeding up handover of security to police forces

English.news.cn 2012-01-09 20:43:58

BAGHDAD, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday urged a speedup in handing over full control of internal security to the interior ministry, stressing that the ministry's performance should not be politicized.


"Today, I say it is necessary to speed up preparing the units of the Interior Ministry in order to fully take over its mission from the Defense Ministry," Maliki said in a televised speech at a ceremony that marks the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Iraqi police.


Maliki said that until next year the interior ministry must work hard to prepare its self to take over the security responsibility in all Iraqi provinces. "I wish by the end of this year, we can see that security responsibility can be handed over (to the interior ministry) in all provinces," Maliki said, warning that "it is a big responsibility because we are still fighting terrorism and crime, as well as building our country."


Maliki also urged that the police force must not be politicized and to work neutrally and professionally.

"I stress the need not to politicize the police services which must be away from the political differences," he said.

The Iraqi police held police parades during ceremonies in major Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Basra, just three days after the Iraqi army held its major parade in Baghdad Green Zone, which houses some of the Iraqi government offices and the U.S. embassy.


Earlier, the Interior Ministry issued a statement on its website apologizing for atrocities committed during the rule of Saddam Hussein. "Security forces in the interior ministry apologize to the Iraqi people for the practices that occurred during the former regime," the statement said. "They were forced to carry out practices that were not of their duties," it added.


The police parades came amid security tension and a political row between Maliki and his political rivals in the Sunni-backed bloc of Iraqia, as Maliki sought to arrest the Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi on terror charges.


In addition, Maliki asked the parliament to sack his Sunni deputy Salih al-Mutlak after the latter dubbed Maliki "a dictator" in an interview with CNN, and on another occasion he told his own satellite TV channel of Babiliyah that "Maliki is worse than Saddam Hussein."


Many Iraqis are worried about a resurgence of ethnic and sectarian violence that once nearly torn the country apart few years ago.


Special Report: Situation in Iraq