Posted on 05/02/2006 10:08:52 PM PDT by jmc1969
The new Iraqi army is "real, growing and willing to fight," but lacks basic equipment and will need up to five more years before it can wage war without U.S. military help, says a new report by a retired four-star general who toured Iraq in April.
Perhaps just as important, Sunni Muslims -- the minority sect who dominated Iraq under dictator Saddam Hussein but now find themselves at a political disadvantage -- are joining the army in large numbers, reports retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey.
Gen. McCaffrey also warns that "there is a rapidly growing animosity" among U.S. troops toward the press. "The reason it bothers me is shades of Vietnam," Gen. McCaffrey said. "It took my generation 20 years to get over Vietnam, the sense that the press had been against us as soldiers."
This is simply a brilliant success story," Gen. McCaffrey writes. "We need at least two to five more years of U.S. partnership and combat backup to get the Iraqi army ready to stand on its own. The interpersonal relationships between Iraqi army units and their U.S. trainers are very positive and genuine."
The command has improved detainee treatment to the point where "we may be in danger of overreaching." Gen. McCaffrey writes, "Many of the [enemy] detainees accuse U.S. soldiers of abuse under the silliest factual situations knowing it will trigger an automatic investigation."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
He lists the problems quite well, I totally agree with his quote below.
The battalion-level formation are in many cases excellent. Most are adequate," Gen. McCaffrey says. "However, they are very badly equipped with only a few light vehicles, small arms, most with body armor and one or two uniforms. They have almost no mortars, heavy machine guns, decent communications equipment, artillery, armor, or air transport, helicopter and strike support."
I'd repeat and shout this over and over again if I could. Other than Fox, this report will not see the light of day.
is more evidence that Iraq's 250,000-strong security force, which includes the army, is much improved compared with 18 months ago.
bttt
PING
(note to self -- repeat ping tomorrow a.m.)
He makes some excellent points - and at the end, he notes that prisoners are now making extremely silly claims knowing all claims are being investigated. A bit of overreaction, indeed.
I suspect they are not yet fully equiped because we want to wait awhile to see who are patriots and who are moles. No need to equip the enemy.
Its not just that they aren't fully equiped they aren't equiped worth a shit. The soldiers in Sadr City were interviewed by ABC News and they all made clear that they don't have anywhere near the weapons that the Madhi Army has.
And, I have heard report after report from Iraqi troops that insurgents are badly outgunning them. They have AKs while the insurgents have rockets, mortars, grenades, and sometimes even Night Vision Goggles.
If we think we are doing ourself a favor by waiting to give them real weapons we aren't at all. Everyone in Iraq has an AK including the Iraqi police and citizens, so we are building an Army that is no better equiped then the average Iraqi and that is quite unacceptable and is badly hindering our efforts to keep people in the Army and to convince Insurgents that the Iraqi Army can kick their asses.
Here is a great video of a Iraqi Captain US troops named Rambo.
http://www.cnn.com/video/world/2006/05/02/keilar.iraqi.soldier.hero.wrbl/content.html
I have been hearing for over a year and a half that the Iraqi Army would get more then AKs, but we got to weed out potental infiltrators. The problem is that we are letting guys like this become so much easier targets by not having them real weapons that they in their own words don't think they can stand up to the Madhi Army.
great tagline
ping
that will be a great day.
Thanks for posting this.
Here is the relevant quote from Gen. McC. on the US government's incompetence:
"U.S. agency support for the Iraq operation is "grossly inadequate." "The bottom line is that only the CIA and the U.S. Armed Forces are at war." (U.S. officials have told The Washington Times that outdated personnel rules make it difficult to assign civil service workers to Iraq.) "
McCaffrey confirms the idea that Bush hasn't coordinated the US actions in this war, leaving the hard work to the US Military.
Only recently has State even begun to get involved, and the rest of the Cabinet departments are wandering around like Katrina survivors, wondering WTF they're doing.
The President must get going on senior level management of the various cabines departments that can help us win this war!
Hey, general, don't take it personally . . .Journalism is an artificial reality in which journalists are noble and nobody else is up to any good at all. Journalists don't have it in for you more than they do for anyone else who threatens to show them up by successfully doing their job.
Morning PING!
This is urban warfare. The enemy cares nothing about killing innocents while the Iraqi army and police do, or should. There are few instances where there is a need for more than AKs. That is what the U.S. troops do in providing backup.
Night vision goggles is another story. In the land of the blind a one eyed man is king. That was a distinct advantage to us. Much of that stuff is stolen and sold on the black market, some furnished by Russia and China.
If the Iraqi Army is really going to stand up to the militias and the insurgents they are going to need to be better armed.
In Iraq all that matters if you are regarded as strong or week. The Baathist insurgents and the Shia militias would be much more willing to go without a fight if they fear the Iraqi Army.
We are using our US mindset on Iraqis once again. The only thing the insurgents and militias respect is force, and they know we will be gone quite soon so they really don't fear us, they think they can bide their time. But, a well armed Iraqi Army would quickly tell them otherwise. The people of western Iraq and parts of Baghdad also root for whoever they think is the strongest group around and what weapons you have makes a big difference menatally to these people.
Although you posted this you immediately ignored it, apparently. Do you know what the Civil Service rules are? They are basically strict union rules that say what a person can and cannot be asked or told to do. They are a big reason why government grows and grows because it is almost impossible to fire someone.
Adding more personnel to solve a one time problem means you are stuck with those employees on the payroll even after the problem is solved. That is why the Democrats wanted the TSA to be government employees and why we like independent contractors for such things. The Federal unions are a big source of campaign funds for the Democrats.
Yet, you Bush bashers (Democrat supporters) don't miss an opportunity to blame him for all that is wrong when it is you that are wrong.
McCaffrey confirms the idea that Bush hasn't coordinated the US actions in this war, leaving the hard work to the US Military.
Well, duh!! It is a war, as you just said in that same sentence. Who else should do the heavy work but the military?? Is McCaffrey's opinion, based on a two week walk through, more valuable and informed that "ex Vietnam war hero" John Murtha's?
Only recently has State even begun to get involved, and the rest of the Cabinet departments are wandering around like Katrina survivors, wondering WTF they're doing.
We are often better off without the State Department being involved. Nearly all off those functionaries are leftist. Bremmer turned out to be a mistake, IMO, and that was a State Department insistence to replace General Garner.
The President must get going on senior level management of the various cabines departments that can help us win this war!
What are the other cabinet departments supposed to be doing in a war zone?
In my continuing effort to be nice, one that is getting harder and harder to do, I will not tell you my true opinion of your post.
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