The U.S. generals in Iraq sound a lot less cocky about their escalation today

. . . it's not like we didn't try and tell them what to expect. Shocked that Iraqis won't join in with our military in repressing their countrymen . . . shocked, I tell ya!

U.S. Generals Doubt Iraqi Force Strength

Sunday June 24, 2007 7:01 PM
Associated Press

BAQOUBA, Iraq (AP) - The U.S. commander of a new offensive north of Baghdad, reclaiming insurgent territory day by day, said Sunday his Iraqi partners may be too weak to hold onto the gains.

The Iraqi military does not even have enough ammunition, said Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek: ``They're not quite up to the job yet.''

His counterpart south of Baghdad seemed to agree, saying U.S. troops are too few to garrison the districts newly rid of insurgents. ``It can't be coalition (U.S.) forces. We have what we have. There's got to be more Iraqi security forces,'' said Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch.

The two commanders spoke after a deadly day for the U.S. military in Iraq. At least 11 soldiers were killed on Saturday from roadside bombings and other causes, leaving at least 31 dead for the week.

He said U.S. forces now control about 60 percent of the city's west side, but ``the challenge now is, how do you hold onto the terrain you've cleared? You have to do that shoulder-to-shoulder with Iraqi security forces. And they're not quite up to the job yet.''

Across Diyala province, where Baqouba is the capital, Iraqi troops are short on uniforms, weapons, ammunition, trucks and radios, he said.

Bednarek predicted it would be weeks before Iraqi police and soldiers could keep al-Qaida out of western Baqouba, and months before they were able to do the same on the city's east side and outlying villages.

Lynch, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and of an operation clearing Baghdad's southern outskirts, was asked at a news conference whether he thought Iraqi troops would be able to secure his gains.

``There's not enough of them, there's not enough of them,'' Lynch replied . . .


report: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6732765,00.html

can't train or equip the FUCKING IRAQI ARMY.

Fast-forward to June 24, 2017
Headline: Bagdad

The 1 million man Iraqi army is finally able to trade their sticks and stones for BB guns and slingshots!!

for lack of funds.

It is also why they don't give them enough ammo or real equipment.

This 'surge' is just to get the excuse machine close enough to the election to call ALL criticism of the war 'pure politics', so as to let Bush skate out of office without having done a thing to bring this to a conclusion....letting the next President clean up his mess, as has been his custom throughout his life....make a mess and let someone else clean it up.

Does anyone remember?

.... with their guns too.

To achieve a similar victory to that achieved in Vietnam..with the same whines, promises, and overblown rhetoric about "staying the course", and "supporting the troops".

They want Iraqis to do the job of supporting their junta for them.

As for those troops, who are stranded there because of an inability of our legislators to organize enough of a coalition in this Congress to enact ANY way to get them out of Iraq, they deserve whatever support we can give them; overblown or otherwise.

with all the money this criminal administration asks for, (and then some courtesy of our war enabling Democratic Party leadership that didn't want to be seen as 'not sportin da troops'). Instead our billions and billions every year goes down some black hole of cost-plus beltway corrupt practices. Heck of a job.

Why should the "Iraq Army" fight its people for the U.S.?

Second, please define for me, in the middle of a civil war - what groups defines itself as an 'Iraq people' as compared to Sunni, Shiites, or Kurds?

If there is in fact a Civil war taking place, which Iraq group will we support? The Sunni (Saudi Arabia), Shiites (Iran), or the Kurd (and not even discuss the potential of a Kurdish nation ...which Turkey will love)?

Any U.S. General worth his salt should be trying to determine - what group to establish relationships with 'temporarily' so that we can withdraw the Coalition from Iraq. The Chaney's puppet in the WH will be leaving via Impeachment or end-of-term - and we gotta leave. Don't even get me started on the stupidity of trying to maintain a semi-army of occupation staged from the proposed 14 or so permanent bases...