4,000 Iraqi police killed in last 2 yrs

Beefing up Iraq's security forces is a cornerstone of efforts to stop the violence that has torn the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Police have been a prime target for attacks by Sunni insurgents.

Sunnis accuse the Shia-led police of helping fuel sectarian violence that has killed thousands this year. They say the police have been infiltrated by Shia militias and turn a blind eye to death squads who kidnap and kill Sunnis.