Mass resignations hit first Iraqi army battalion

AFP ^ | 12/11/03

[TexKat]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - About 300 of the 700 members in the first new Iraqi army battalion set up by the US-led coalition have resigned, a coalition official said.

"There are about 300 of these individuals out of a total of about 700 of the First Battalion of the new Iraqi army (who) have therefore resigned or effectively resigned," the official told a news conference on condition he not be identified.

Under daily attack by insurgents, the coalition is seeking to transfer more security responsibility to Iraqi forces.

"They weren't happy with terms and conditions and didn't obey the instructions of their commanding officers," he said.

"My understanding is that they felt they should be paid more money, for example, than the police," he said, adding that the coalition will review all security force salaries.

The coalition administering Iraq is building a new army after dismissing all the members of Saddam Hussein's armed forces following his ouster by invading US and British troops in April.

"I think this is a particular problem related to that First Battalion," the official said. "There may have been some confusion when they first joined the Iraqi army. They weren't sure exactly what their terms and conditions are."

The rest of the First Battalion is serving with the US 4th Infantry Division.

He said a second Iraqi battalion is training "and there are no resignations from that." Another group of more than 2,000 recruits is expected to begin training next year, he said.

Salaries in the new army range from 50 dollars a month in the ranks to 180 dollars for a colonel and are "hugely higher" than under the old regime, the coalition spokesman said.

A former air defence battery commander who held the rank of captain in Saddam's armed forces told AFP he used to earn 50 dollars a month.

Plans call for the new army to grow until it reaches a strength of about 40,00 soldiers in 27 motorised infantry battalions by late next year.

The First Battalion graduated in October after nine weeks of training and was assigned primarily to assist US troops with border security.

Former high-ranking officers were barred from joining the new fighting force but the US military said 75 percent of the first Iraqi recruits had served in lower ranks of Saddam's army.

Former Iraqi army and police officers will also be drafted into a specialised unit to fight loyalists of Saddam's Baath regime, an aide to Iyad Allawi, who is in charge of security on Iraq's interim Governing Council, told AFP on Wednesday.

"This force is already being created and will be made up of a battalion of 700 people, most of them officers in the former army and police," the official said.

"This is a stage in the process of transferring responsibility for security from the coalition to Iraqis," he added, asking not to be named.

His statement came after US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld indicated a new Iraqi unit would help hunt "high value targets," a reference to Baathist leaders.

[TexKat]

Freedom is not free.

Soldiers of the new Iraqi army guard a checkpoint in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. About 300 of the 700 members in the first new Iraqi army battalion set up by the US-led coalition have resigned.(AFP/File/Karim Sahib)

[KellyAdmirer]

I understand there is a wash-out rate of 50% for candidates for NYC busdriver positions, too. Get the cream and form a crack force.

[PeterPrinciple]

According to a few other articles there may be more to be earned entrepreneurally or in the black market.

Could this be a reason and if so then they may be losing the cream and the rest are staying?

[Roughneck]

>>"My understanding is that they felt they should be paid more money, for example, than the police," he said, adding that the coalition will review all security force salaries.<<

No wonder their country was taken over by Saddam - what bad attitudes these men have - they are lucky to be getting paid a real salary at all - they have been GIVEN freedom, yet refuse to fight for it...

Nobody would have to PAY ME to protect my country.

[Puppage]

Chumps don't want da hep, chumps don't get da hep.

[KellyAdmirer]

I understand your point. I think anyone leaving over salary or perks or whatever is by definition just a mercenary, though, so they may be the "cream" in some terms, but not the "cream" in terms of who I would want manning the machine gun next to me.

[longtermmemmory]

odd that it is in just one unit. Why this particular one?

[2banana]

Considering that entire Iraqi units deserted in mass when they go the chance in the last regime, this is an improvement...

[Captain Kirk]

Freedom is not free. Sure....it is if you sucking the public teat, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

[Sacajaweau]

The truth of the matter is, considering what the unemployment rate was before we got there, these boys just aren't used to working and nothing but paid loungers who are occasionally ordered to fight a war with an enemy they can't beat and go back to their lounge chairs until it's over and collect their Saddam rations. It's called lazy and part of it was the creation of the UN terms of surrender.

[b4its2late]

At least they were able to "walk away" without getting shot in the back while they did it......

[longtermmemmory]

Is it not that the populations in that part of the world are actually paid by their leadership out of the oil wealth? A reverse taxation for pacification.

Now they have to work, so they resigned all at once for what reason?

[Maurkov]

Nobody would have to PAY ME to protect my country.

Sometimes it's hard to recognize hyperbole, but....

A) Why aren't you protecting your country right now?

B) If you were, what would you be doing with your paycheck?

[RightWhale]

Eventually they will get their country set up the way they want it. There is serious money potential in Iraq that they can realize if they do it right.

[King Prout]

good point.

[Oatka]

I hope they were sent home in civvies or else made to turn in their uniforms and ID cards. Otherwise they will end up in the terrorists' hands, making it easier for the suicide-types to get REAL close before blowing themselves up.

What happens to that stuff if they just don't show up? Anybody go to their house and collect? If not, it seems to me to be a pretty good way to acquire some cover.

Also, hope they fingerprint/photograph all these recruits and database them. Then start checking fingerprints on any terrorist weapons found. When Abdul starts seeing his face on Wanted posters he may not be too eager to fight for the bad guys.

[PeterPrinciple]

but not the "cream" in terms of who I would want manning the machine gun next to me.

Your point is well taken too.

[Roughneck]

a) Why aren't you protecting your country right now?

B) If you were, what would you be doing with your paycheck?



A) I'm too old for armed forces, but if enemy was on THIS SOIL, and I mean a fightin' enemy, I'd have gun in hand without whining about it, nor EXPECTING to be paid (although I'd probably be grateful if I was)

B) Right. If we had war here in USA, just what could we do with a paycheck? Buy supplies, buy food (if there were any to buy), form a militia..plenty.

No hyperbole...those iraquis who left after being trained are either A) TRAITORS, getting training and info to form a pro-saddam group B) sissy-boys who used to get $2 a month from sadamm, but $60. from uncle sam aint enough.