BAGHDAD (RFE/RL) -- The handover on April 1 of a major multinational forces military base outside of Baghdad to the Iraqi Army will enable the Defense Ministry to revive a military academy located at the base, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reports.
The assistant chief of staff of the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant-General Hussein Jassim, told RFI that in January the Al-Rustamia military academy will have three-year courses for young officers.
Jassim said that since 2005 the academy has organized intensive, nine-month, officer-training courses at makeshift locations.
Major-General Daniel Bolger, a commander of Multinational Forces-Iraq in Baghdad, told RFI that the facility is "really important because it is...part of the strong tradition of the Iraqi Army."
Brigadier-General Mario Billardello of the NATO training mission-Iraq told RFI that NATO instructors will remain to help build the Iraqi Army but that NATO's training mission will be under the protection of Iraqi forces.
The assistant chief of staff of the Iraqi Army, Lieutenant-General Hussein Jassim, told RFI that in January the Al-Rustamia military academy will have three-year courses for young officers.
Jassim said that since 2005 the academy has organized intensive, nine-month, officer-training courses at makeshift locations.
Major-General Daniel Bolger, a commander of Multinational Forces-Iraq in Baghdad, told RFI that the facility is "really important because it is...part of the strong tradition of the Iraqi Army."
Brigadier-General Mario Billardello of the NATO training mission-Iraq told RFI that NATO instructors will remain to help build the Iraqi Army but that NATO's training mission will be under the protection of Iraqi forces.
