BAGHDAD, Iraq – A day on the Iran-Iraq border is typically chaotic, with throngs of Iranians crossing to visit Iraqi relatives or worship at the Shiite holy cities of Najaf (search) and Karbala. But not all the travelers have innocent intentions.
Amid the disorder, Iraqi border policemen must keep an eye out for smuggled weapons and terrorists trying to enter the country.
"We will attack them," Bassem Hamed Saleh, a member of the Iraqi Customs Police (search), said of potential insurgents. "We will fight them. We will stop them from entering with all our forces."
But stopping guerrillas is easier said than done. A point of entry southeast of Baghdad, for example, is very rudimentary, lacking a computer system that could track blacklisted individuals or X-ray devices to spot illegal weapons.
To shore up border security, multinational forces are now supplying the new border guards with new vehicles, weapons and other equipment. More officers are on the way as well, as class sizes at a border police academy have tripled.
Such measures, officials hope, will help Saleh make good on his word.
Go to the video box at the top of the story to watch a report by FOX News’ Greg Palkot.
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