NYT: Iraqi Realities Undermine the Pentagon’s Predictions

[RamboLiberal]

<snip>

On paper, Iraq has substantial security forces. The Pentagon noted in an August report to Congress that Iraq had more than 277,000 troops and police officers, including some 115,000 army combat soldiers.

But those figures, which have often been cited at Pentagon news conferences as an indicator of progress and a potential exit strategy for American troops, paint a distorted picture. When the deep-seated reluctance of many soldiers to serve outside their home regions, leaves of absence and AWOL rates are taken into account, only a portion of the Iraqi Army is readily available for duty in Baghdad and other hot spots.

The fact that the Ministry of Defense has sent only two of the six additional battalions that American commanders have requested for Baghdad speaks volumes about the difficulty the Iraqi government has encountered in fielding a professional military. The four battalions that American commanders are still waiting for is equivalent to 2,800 soldiers, hardly a large commitment in the abstract but one that the Iraqis are still struggling to meet.

<snip>

But longstanding problems remain. A quarter or so of a typical Iraqi unit is on leave at any one time. Since Iraq lacks an effective banking system for paying its troops, soldiers are generally given a week’s leave each month to bring their pay home.

Desertions and absenteeism are another concern. According to the August Pentagon report, 15 percent of new recruits drop out during initial training. Beyond that, deployment to combat zones, the report adds, sometimes results in additional “absentee spikes of 5 to 8 percent.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/world/middleeast/25assess.html?hp&ex=1161748800&en=b6f7a78ce40b23a3&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Nolo_Contendre]

1. War criminals in the news

Those murdering morons.

[saigon68]

6. Here they are

[MadMaddie]

2. Reality, Truth...facts whatever you call it has never been

a priority with this bunch and they are directly responsible for all of the deaths...will Rummy and * monkeyboy and the rest go down with Pol Pot and other murderous regimes....? This is the historical destiny that * wanted and so he shall get it...

[whistle]

3. The Pentagon could have sent 455,000 troops in the beginning

...and developed a plan to win the peace and been well on the road to an independent and fairly unified Iraq by now. Instead, the Pentagon caved into the megalomaniac ravings of a delusional George W. Bush, a corrupt and highly secretive fascist Dick Cheney and the bungling and incompetent Donald Rumsfeld, thus wasting the last 3 1/2 years on nonsense and blowing most of the $400 billion up their favorite corporate buddies assholes. Now we are back on square one where the best plan is to fold our tents, cut our losses and leave Iraq.

[saigon68]

5. Every day it looks more and more like Viet-Nam.

LOL

[rodeodance]

4. the 12-18 months they want---umm. they said that 12-18 ago.