2007 press releases

Joint Announcement By the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the Embassy of the United States in Baghdad on the Joint Commission of Inquiry on Protective Security Detail Operations

Baghdad, Iraq
October 7, 2007

On October 7, the Iraqi Minister of Defense Abdulqadir Mohammed Jassim and the U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis co-chaired the first meeting of the Joint Commission of Inquiry on Protective Security Detail Operations.

The Minister and Ambassador Butenis expressed the mutual commitment of the Iraqi government and the U.S. Government to work together to evaluate issues of safety and security related to personal security detail operations in Iraq.

The Commission will issue a report containing joint policy recommendations to the Governments of Iraq and the United States, including specific suggestions for improving Iraqi and U.S. procedures, with the goal of ensuring that personal security detail operations do not endanger public safety.

The two sides agreed to continue their coordination and to complete the process of inquiry in order to prevent the recurrence of any incidents in the future.