Iraqi unit flees post, despite American's plea

[DuaneBidoux]

Source: International Herald Tribune

BAGHDAD: A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias.

The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing.

Captain Logan Veath, a company commander in the 25th Infantry Division, pleaded with the Iraqi major who was leading his troops away from the Sadr City fight, urging him to return to the front...



Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/16/africa/16sadr.ph...

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Glad we're making progress.

[PetraPooh]

1. How difficult a position to be in. Kill your friends and relatives for the

sake of "American" success or we're going to shoot at you. Disgusting.

[pfitz59]

2. What "front"?

This is a Civil War, there is no "front"? US Troops are surrounded by hostiles. Would be a joke if folks weren't dying!

[cliss]

3. Viet Nam.

It's Viet Nam, all over again.

[struggle4progress]

7. It's not Vietnam: it's

New and Improved Vietnam -- and we've added so more more of our secret ingredient that we had to design a special new box to hold it

[saigon68]

32. Iraq-Nam

A place that takes no time out for Peace

A place where walking over a dead body in the street is a daily nuisance

[Voltaire99]

35. Tell it, brother!

Good to see you are still around, Saigon68!

[saigon68]

37. Never left just lurking for a while

Getting recharged.

The evil election and all kinds of outrage are just a bit over the horizon.

The old guard will be back this summer when the shit really hits the fan.

[grytpype]

4. Enough is enough!

Turn Iraq over to whoever controls the territory right now, and leave!

[grytpype]

5. "WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY PROGRESS!!!"

"It bugs the hell out of me," said Sergeant George Lewis, Veath's platoon sergeant in Company B, Third Platoon, First Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment. "We don't see any progress being made at all. We hear these guys in firefights. We know if we are not up there helping these guys out we are making very little progress."

...

One big problem is that the Iraqi troops have responded to militia gunfire with such intense fusillades that the soldiers have endangered civilians, American soldiers and even their own forces. The barrage of Iraqi Army fire has become such a regular occurrence that some American soldiers are worried that militia fighters have tried to insert themselves between nearby Iraqi units to induce the Iraqi soldiers to fire on one another.

[awoke_in_2003]

6. They weren't fleeing

they were just trying to turn another corner

[NBachers]

14. Yup- that corner that victeree's jest around nt

[tuckessee]

8. The good captain must've run out of money to bribe them. n/t

[KeepItReal]

9. Bribes keep 'em in the Iraqi Army... it just ain't enough to make them actually stay and fight

Probably hear them running away saying, "They don't pay me enough for this sh*t"

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[UndertheOcean]

11. Your post is disgusting

[Breeze54]

21. I don't think so.

They ran away and left the other soldiers there alone.

Was it a set up?

[UndertheOcean]

24. They probably got scared

If it was a setup they could have turned their guns on the American Troops

[Breeze54]

25. Or they were expecting something to happen once they got there and

were told to scram as soon as they did. ? We don't know.

[KitchenWitch]

12. Enjoy your short stay, I am pretty sure you will be eating granite rather soon

[auntAgonist]

13. enjoy your (short) stay here. Your post is baiting and disgusting.

[Jamastiene]

15. You are a DRAMATIC one, aren't ya?

Huh. I didn't know y'all came in different flavors. I mean, the aroma is always the same; old under-the-bridge smell.

[Hissyspit]

20. LOL

[Jamastiene]

22. ...

How is my fellow cat lover this evening?

[Hissyspit]

26. It's cold!

[Hissyspit]

16. Or you could sign up to take their place.

[Breeze54]

17. Hey RichKay, what's going on? Why all the yelling and anger?

[yewberry]

18. Um, your Caps Lock is on.

And enjoy your stay.

BTW, referring to people as "bitches" isn't welcome here.

[krispos42]

19. Self-portrait as an avatar, I see...

Ever tried a silicon dioxide and aluminium oxide biscuit? You're probably about to.

[CreekDog]

23. IBTS

[SeattleGirl]

27. A troll speaketh!

Now taketh thyself away!!

[puerco-bellies]

28. IBTTS

Cowardly bitches post from a safe place, screaming for somebody else's blood.

[Fox Mulder]

29. You need help.

Seriously.

[JVS]

30. Remind me never to join any military unit in which you give orders.

[arundhatiroyfan]

31. When they are afraid of being killed..

retreating is a normal human reaction.

[Stuart G]

33. K and R

So this is what our training and blood end up doing?

[Vinca]

34. It's time to pack up and come home.

While I think the Pottery Barn rule applies, there comes a time when we're being used. Iraqis are making mountains of money off oil and not spending it. If Americans are going to foot the bill, why should they? After 5 years of training Iraqis to defend themselves, they take off and leave the Americans at risk. Pack it up.

[Ganja Ninja]

36. K & R!

These assholes are just in the army to collect a paycheck. They aren't going to fight for Bush's puppets. It's way past time we got out of that shit hole and quit flushing our money away.

[T Monk]

38. come on iraqis, help us kill other iraqis doesn't seem to be working out