Pentagon cites Iraqi army gains, losses(Zero fully independant battalions)

[sabra]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/breaking_news/13954682.htm

Pentagon cites Iraqi army gains, losses

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The number of Iraqi army battalions judged by their American trainers to be capable of leading the fight against the insurgency has grown by nearly 50 percent since last September, but the number operating with no U.S. help has slipped from one to none, senior Pentagon officials said Friday.

The U.S. military says its short-term goal is to get more Iraqi units trained to a level where they can lead the fight, since that allows American troops to focus on other tasks besides combat. But in the longer run the Iraqis will have to reach a level of full independence in order for American troops to leave the country.

In a report to Congress assessing the Iraq situation, the Pentagon also asserted Friday that the insurgency is losing strength, becoming less effective in its attacks and failing to undermine the development of an Iraqi democracy.

The report was written last week, before the bombing of a Shiite shrine and a wave of deadly reprisal attacks. It is the third in a series of reports that Congress requires from the Pentagon every three months.

[Betsy Ross]

1. Another Pentagon tale of fiction.

Had there been any real intelligence, the events this week would have been forseen. Had there been any real investigation into the ports deal, the committee would have known the stink it would cause. (Thinking back to the SNL character who was a compulsive liar. Yeah, that's the ticket.)

[NanceGreggs]

2. No, really, IT'S TRUE!!!

"The insurgency is losing strength, becoming less effective in its attacks, and failing to undermine the development of an Iraqi democracy."

I KNOW it's true because I heard it from my beautiful wife, Morgan Fairchild!

[Roland99]

3. Pentagon: Iraqi troops downgraded (No battalion can fight w/o US support)

Pentagon: Iraqi troops downgraded
No Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/iraq.security/index.html?section=cnn_topstories

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The only Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support has been downgraded to a level requiring them to fight with American troops backing them up, the Pentagon said Friday.

The battalion, made up of 700 to 800 Iraqi Army soldiers, has repeatedly been offered by the U.S. as an example of the growing independence of the Iraqi military.

...

The battalion, according to the Pentagon, was downgraded from "level one" to "level two" after a recent quarterly assessment of its capabilities.

...

Though officials would not cite a specific reason for downgrading the unit, its readiness level has dropped in the wake of a new commander and numerous changes in the combat and support units, officials said.

3 years and nearly $300 billion and where are we?

About the same spot as right after the invasion.

[IndianaGreen]

4. The "Long War" just got longer!

We are too stubborn to admit defeat and pull out all the troops, so we will wait until we are forced to evacuate our troops and personnel just as we did in Vietnam and Cambodia.

[DBoon]

15. I'm waiting for that news photo

of the last Americans being evacuated from Baghdad by helicopter.

I will remember where I have seen this before.

[HuffleClaw]

18. they'll spin THAT as a 'victory'

count on it. i picture a convoy leading from baghdad to their new 'superbases' next to the oil fields. it'll be a retreat of course, but they'll claim they are handing iraq their 'freedom'.

[napi21]

5. And McCain freaked out when the # went from 10 to 3!

I enjoyed watching that hearing where McCain was lambasting the Generals about pushing false info on how good the Iraqi troops were trained! I hope he reads this NEW info and calls the idiot General back!!!!

I still think they aren't capable of fighting alone because they know they don't HAVE TO!

Train them, then leave! Sure they'll make mistakes initially, but they'll learn and they'll do what they have to do!

[Roland99]

6. The US trains them and then they run to the other side and blow up mosques

what a plan!!!

[pinkpops]

11. I read it the same - the US is afraid they will take sides

[Mithras61]

9. They'll either learn from their mistakes, or they'll loose...

to the better prepared and more effective force. The single biggest problem I've seen reported with the Iraqi battalions is the trained troops leaving to join the insurgency. Maybe if we pulled out, the Iraqi people would be able to establish a gobernment on their own. Us being there seems to be as much a detriment to peace as it was to Saddam Hussein staying in power (that is, it ain't gonna happen so long as we're involved).

[Old and In the Way]

7. Another example of this administration's war on truth.

The outright deceit is incredible. A shame we can't hold everyone of these criminals accountable for their baldfaced lies.

[KingFlorez]

8. And they say things are getting better

Bold faced lies all the time

[CAG]

10. Whoever downgraded the assessment is going to be called in to Uncle

Rummy's office for a good talkin' to.

How dare they try to level with the murkin people.

Do you think Hannity will have much to say about this??

[MadisonProgressive]

12. Bush has made a good living being incompetent

[rowdyjesus]

13. Downgraded capabilities of Iraq forces

No battle-worthy battalions?? Damn that truthiness!

We must be really close to declaring victory and running for the borders.

[pinto]

14. That's pretty telling. And Bush's comments this AM were an embarassment

Even he seemed to have a hard time believing the string of platitudes they gave him to read.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

16. And that is the battalion which has

been accused of being the Sad'r death squad, I bet.

[HuffleClaw]

17. trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear eh?

one step forward, two steps back. then another step back. FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH ! !!

[leftchick]

19. CNN: Pentagon: Iraqi troops downgraded (Need US to fight)

Pentagon: Iraqi troops downgraded
No Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The only Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support has been downgraded to a level requiring them to fight with American troops backing them up, the Pentagon said Friday.

The battalion, made up of 700 to 800 Iraqi Army soldiers, has repeatedly been offered by the U.S. as an example of the growing independence of the Iraqi military.

The competence of the Iraqi military has been cited as a key factor in when U.S. troops will be able to return home.

"As we see more of these Iraqi forces in the lead, we will be able to continue with our stated strategy that says as Iraqi forces stand up, we will stand down," President Bush said last month. (Full story)


http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/iraq.security/index.html

[swag]

20. Read the LA Times link this morning.

We're in the shit.

Recommended

[Shelor]

21. This is what you get for trying to create a puppet army.

[RamboLiberal]

22. LAT: Iraq Now Has No Units Able to Stand Alone

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraqarmy25feb25,0,2476879.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The number of Iraqi army battalions judged capable of fighting the insurgency without U.S. help has slipped from one to zero since September, Pentagon officials said Friday.

But the number of Iraqi battalions capable of leading the battle, with U.S. troops in a support role, has grown by nearly 50%, from 36 to 53, Air Force Lt. Gen. Gene Renuart said, and the number engaged in combat has increased 11%, from 88 to 98.

Renuart said he didn't know exactly why the one battalion previously rated as independent had been downgraded, but he cited the general inadequacy of the Iraqis' ability to provide their own transport and other logistical support.

The total number of Iraqi security forces is now about 232,000, said Peter Rodman, an assistant secretary of Defense who briefed reporters with Renuart.

[Botany]

23. So after ....

.... 3 years, 2 trillion $s, 2,300 American dead, 15,000 American amputees, 100,000 + dead
Iraqis, and all the blather from the right so now that the bill has come due ..... the Iraqi Army is
a no show?

Only 1 reason ... It was Clinton's fault.

[MrSlayer]

24. Yes, that pesky Clenis is omnipotent.

An unstoppable force that influences events past and future.

[karynnj]

25. Now why again did they turn down

the offers of France, Germany, Eqypt and Jordan to train large number of Iraqis in the offering countries - so they could returned trained and ready to go. The offers were public in January 2005 - so if taken up, we would have been in good shape.

[dweller]

26. perhaps they are waiting

for the UAE to offer to buy them and train them.

:shrug:

dp

[Botany]

27. sure

The UAE is real good @ royal falcons and stuff.

[The_Casual_Observer]

28. It could be worse!

[LibDemAlways]

29. It's a little tough recruiting soldiers whose job

it will be to fight their own countrymen. Imagine an occuped America in which the occupiers were trying to recruit Americans to fight the American "insurgency" against the invaders. How many takers would there be?

[SquireJons]

30. No Problem (iraqi's killing other iraqi's)

The only thing they like killing more than jews is each other. Been happening for 1300 years. Not gonna stop now...

[LibDemAlways]

31. Clearly there will always be sectarian tensions, but

how many Iraqis are willing to sign up to align themselves with the US? We're every faction's enemy over there.

[SquireJons]

32. Not Really,

The Kurds don't hate us (yet), but they do really need us. And while we are currently near the top of most Muslims shit list, that's only temporary. Once we get our hands out of their pants, they will forget we even exist. Their real hatred is with each other. These religious feuds just don't die. For a true believer, it's pretty hard to make peace with people who murdered Gods hand picked successor to the throne on earth. That's what it comes down to and they will never stop hating each other.

So, they will sign up in droves to kill each other. We'd better have plans to get out of the way. Oh, and a plan for a 50% reduction in world oils supplies might be nice. Good thing we have our buddies in Venezuela. Oh, wait...