Iraqi Military, proud talking point for Republicans...

[nolies32fouettes]

Iraqi Military, proud talking point for Republicans, protests deceptive recruiting practices

This is disturbing, anyone else STILL have the Republicans praise of the competant growing Iraqi military ringing in their ears?

Well, I guess invasive or deceptive recruitment is as much of an issue THERE as it is here.

Of course, they're happy to protect their own province, but why would they leave their families to protect others? Particularely given the violent sectarian climate... But you know something is wrong when even the soldiers themselves protest.



Please see the rest here: http://www.progressiveu.org/184132-iraqi-military-proud-talking-point-for-republicans-protests-deceptive-recruiting-practices#comment-21421

[Jacobin]

1. Its like the South Vietnamese army we left

When we "vietnamesed" the viet nam war....the ultimate in hubris.

And we know what happens when you hire mercenaries who have no allegiance to the government they are fighting for

[ray of light]

3. can you provide links or more info?

[marmar]

2. This is probably redundant, but what a mess we've created in Iraq...

I feel for the President who has to inherit this disaster.

[ray of light]

4. I feel more for the kids there and our kids here who will suffer from

these liars.

[MercutioATC]

5. Ask a freeper this:

It takes six weeks of basic training and another 6-8 weeks of specialized training for a U.S. soldier to go to a foreign country and fight.

Why does it take four or five YEARS to train an Iraqi soldier to defend their OWN country?

[ray of light]

6. Good point! Nolies32fouettes--kicked and rec'd

[nolies32fouettes]

7. thanks for the k & R. hope I get more.

[pocket]

8. easy answer:

A US recruit goes to an existing unit that has thousands and thousands of man-hours of experience and tradition. He will initially serve under the close supervision of experienced veterans, in an organization that has evolved over the past 200 years.

Iraqi units are being created from scratch. There are no seasoned non-coms to guide each recruit, since they are all recruits. The entire system is new.

This is pretty much like the difference between IBM hiring a new employee, and created IBM from the ground up.

[ray of light]

9. no it isn't. I don't buy that. Militarys

did not need to be taught for years on end to do basics. What needs to happen is the plan Kerry gave them in the 04 election. But Bush was too stubborn then to listen.

Kerry would have enabled NATO and world support to train many more Iraqis in other nations around the world. They would have been able to reach more and involve more experts to train them. The problem is that we have civilians who never went to war dictating how a military should be run.

[MercutioATC]

10. Iraq HAD an existing army (remember the dreaded Republican Guard?)

It's my understanding that elements of that army have been incorporated into the Iraqi security forces. There IS a pre-existing experience base in the Iraqi security forces.

That aside, OUR career soldiers are serving as the veteran soldiers when training the Iraqis. New recruits ARE led by experienced soldiers (ours) until they have the experience to operate on their own.

[pocket]

11. and they will need us as training wheels for quite a while

until they have the rough equivalent of our E6-E9 troops.

[MercutioATC]

12. I'm sorry, but prior Republican Guard troops are at that level (at least).

The expertise exists. Either:

1) It's not being utilized for some reason, or

2) We're not training Iraqi troops correctly, or

3) Iraqi troops ARE able to defend Iraq, but we're not letting them.

[tenshi816]

13. My money's on (3),

because if they "stand up" as Shrubbie claims he wants them to, then our guys will need to "stand down", which Shrubbie also claims he wants. This cannot be allowed, because then what will happen to all that lovely oil BushCo and Halliburton are itching to get their hands on? What will happen to the establishment of permanent American military bases in Iraq?

I don't believe they want the Iraqis to be able to defend themselves.

[MercutioATC]

14. You may be right.

[nolies32fouettes]

15. me either