Iraq mulls reintroducing the draft

[sabra]

Source: Azzaman

Iraq is determined to reintroduce the draft which the U.S. had it scrapped shortly after its 2003 invasion, a senior member of parliament said.

Hadi al-Ameri, chairman of parliament’s defense and security committee, said reinstating the draft was necessary given the country’s current conditions.

...

Draft dodgers were harshly punished and in the years before the fall of former leader Saddam Hussein many had part of their ears chopped off or their foreheads branded.

...

Analysts say the fact that the government’s determination to reinstate the draft is an indication that the army is not finding enough volunteers.

...

In recent battles in Basra a few hundred militiamen dealt a heavy blow to the ‘elite’ Iraqi military units sent there to contain violence.


Read more: http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news/2008-04-28/kurd.htm

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Ya mean all those young men milling around burned-out cars aren't volunteering?

I'm shocked........

Hey, why should they bother, when the US is bent on staying there forever anyway?

[uppityperson]

2. k&r, shaking my head here. Let me see if I get the logic...

People are deserting, so they want to draft more. Persumably those drafted, those who didn't voluntarily sign up, will not desert like those who voluntarily signed up are doing.

And "Conscription is illegal under the new constitution which calls for the formation of a fully volunteer army." so they want to change the constitution?

Huh. FUBAR.

[krkaufman]

3. Yes. Plus, they've had a problem with militia members infiltrating the military ...

... so it'll be interesting to see how that's handled. Sounds like it will just lead to further segmentation of the population.

edit: p.s. Maybe they just need to follow our lead and start waiving any selection criteria for whom they accept, like criminals. I'm sure that wouldn't come back to bite them in the ass.

[Roy]

5. Maybe they should only draft militia members and insurgents......

It appears they are the only people in Iraq that does not need US training.
:shrug:







Edit: OOPS!!! meant to reply to OP

[dysfunctional press]

4. they'll need those troops when they declare war on iran later this year...

:crazy:

[krkaufman]

6. I wonder when we'll start offering US citizenship to Iraqis willing to enlist. n/t

[otherlander]

7. Go to jail for not killing people

It's surreal, isn't it?
:cry:

What have we done?