This is among them.
The U.S. Army began training an Iraqi militia force on Friday to take on civil defense duties and pave the way for U.S. forces to leave Iraq.
Fifty young men hand-picked by tribal leaders started three weeks of intensive training at one of Saddam Hussein's main palaces in the northern town of Tikrit, which is now headquarters for the 4th Infantry Division.
Lt. Col. Steve Russell said similar training programs were expected to begin in other cities across Iraq shortly.
"Our goal is that you will take our place and take over the security of your own people," Russell told recruits and tribal leaders.
"We are training you to be the leaders of a larger force that we will be creating in the coming months," he said.
The militia will start off working with U.S. soldiers in joint patrols, but eventually will be responsible for defending key infrastructure and government buildings, Russell said.
The founding members of the new militia will be paid US$125 a month - more than twice the salary of former Iraqi soldiers - and are expected to commit to joining the civil defense force for a minimum of a year, Russell said.
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