The attack carried out by the Iraqi security forces team against the coach of the Karbala soccer club, Mohammed Abbas, on June 24, 2013, was not unique. It was preceded by numerous incidents, some of which were linked to the security forces such as the Hawija incident that occurred on April 23, 2013.

The problem does not lie in the nature of this military force — considered the striking hand in major armed operations — nor does it lie in ambiguity surrounding the role and powers of its members, and the demands to reveal the full truth behind it, described by the Iraqiya List as “of an unknown origin and legitimacy” in a recent statement. 

The [real] problem is neither specifically related to these forces nor relevant to generalizing individual incidents caused by soldiers [with their own motivations] from time to time. Nor should the blame be put on the Iraqi security and military forces which have been subjected to major terrorist pressures and threats for years.

Such incidents indicate that there is an urgent need in Iraq to re-evaluate the understanding of the military and powers and limits of the security forces in general on the one hand, and examine to what extent security and military institutions adopt a culture of human rights, as a way to guarantee security personnel assimilate before dealing with the public, on the other.