(new Iraq) Prime minister-designate to recall Saddam army

Prime minister-designate to recall Saddam army

By Philip Sherwell and Colin Freeman
LONDON SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Iyad Allawi plans to recall four divisions of Saddam Hussein's old army — a move that would mark the most significant reversal of U.S. occupation policy to date.

Mr. Allawi also said he intended to create a rapid-reaction force and anti-terrorism unit to deal with the country's security crisis — which is widely attributed to the U.S. decision to dismiss more than 300,000 soldiers following the fall of Baghdad.

"I would like to see the reconstitution of three to four divisions of the Iraqi army from midlevel officers to junior ranks," he said in an interview. "I am only talking about the regular army here, not the Republican Guard."

Under Saddam, each of 23 regular Iraqi army divisions had about 10,000 men.

"I also want to see the formation of a rapid-deployment force and an anti-terrorism outfit on intelligence and operational levels as well as an improved general intelligence operation," Mr. Allawi said.

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20040529-114053-1316r.htm

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uh oh ... Operation Backfire is off to a not so promissing start

Can you say FUBAR?

FUBAR. Maybe FUBAR covers it. Put a "remnant" of Saddam's regime in charge who immediately calls up more "remnants" to go after the terrorists, who are, coincidentally, the exact same people Saddam was slaughtering while he was in charge. FUBAR? It's beyond FUBAR, I don't know what the word is, but it's definitely beyond FUBAR.

Junta.

The b*sh klan are turning Iraq over to a fucking junta.

That's why Negroponte is in - he's had experience with that type of thing.

This is madness.

I don't know about that, there have been plenty of reversals so far, starting with the reason for invading in the first place.

Same as the old boss...

I'm sure the Shiite Majority and their friends in IRAN wil have someting to say about this. Al Sadr will come out shooting.

THIS CLOWN IS A DEAD MAN WALKING.

:grr:

nt

...over this decision? Perhaps the Kurds will forget what Saddam's army used to do to them? Yea. Thats just the ticket.

Don

This fiasco becomes more insane by the day.

...if the Telegraph UK and the Washington Times are reporting it.

~snip~
Disbanding the army

The US was supposed to train a new Iraqi security force, but this has proved woefully inadequate. In the past two months the CPA has twice reversed course. De-Baathification was ditched when the US gave responsibility for policing the flashpoint Sunni city of Fallujah to a force under a senior Saddam-era Iraqi commander. The same could happen in the Shia south, where the US struck a deal with the rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Najaf under which local militias are taking over some security tasks. The about-turn is further admission that the US doesn't have the troops, or the respect of the local citizenry, to do the job.
~snip~
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=526332

Killer Kimmitt & Dastardly Dan Senor are speaking now about it (live on CNN)...

on edit: It finally occurred to me - Dan Senor is actually Ari Fleischer with hair plugs!!! :D