Why we're completely FUCKED in Iraq

[Modem Butterfly]

I got this article from my partner, who was in the last Gulf war. He sent me the link, with a one word message. "Crap."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/09/AR2005060902245_pf.html

"I know the party line. You know, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, five-star generals, four-star generals, President Bush, Donald Rumsfeld: The Iraqis will be ready in whatever time period," said 1st Lt. Kenrick Cato, 34, of Long Island, N.Y., the executive officer of McGovern's company, who sold his share in a database firm to join the military full time after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. "But from the ground, I can say with certainty they won't be ready before I leave. And I know I'll be back in Iraq, probably in three or four years. And I don't think they'll be ready then."

"We don't want to take responsibility; we don't want it," said Amar Mana, 27, an Iraqi private whose forehead was grazed by a bullet during an insurgent attack in November. "Here, no way. The way the situation is, we wouldn't be ready to take responsibility for a thousand years

U.S. officers said the Iraqis had been particularly instrumental in obtaining intelligence that led to the detention of several suspected insurgent leaders in the region. They said it was unfair to evaluate the Iraqi forces by U.S. standards.

"We're not trying to make the 82nd Airborne here," Taluto said.

Overall, the number of Iraqi military and police trained and equipped is more than 169,000, according to the U.S. military, which has also said there are 107 operational military and special police battalions. As of last month, however, U.S. and Iraqi commanders had rated only three battalions capable of operating independently.


"We like to refer to the Iraqi army as preschoolers with guns," he said.

[okieinpain]

1. preschoolers with guns can be just as bad as terrorist. check

out city of god. man, I would give my kingdom for a good reporter.

[Modem Butterfly]

2. That is so very alarming

Words can't even begin to describe the heebie-jeebies I get from that article.

[FreedomAngel82]

18. Really

I saw a documentary at http://www.informationclearinghouse.info and it was from a British reporter I believe. In the film it featured General Clark and the guy who was head of Saddam's old army and is the head of the new Iraqi army. According to the Iraqi he thought they wouldn't be finished with training for another four to five years and this was reported in the video back in January of this year. Now we know why they're building the military bases (along with the oil of course).

[andino]

3. ...

[andino]

4. Put oil ahead of people and this is what you get... nm

[wtmusic]

5. This relates to today's friendly fire story

How many of those weapons end up in the hands of "insurgents"?

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Clarke said yesterday that he expects a draw-down by

the end of summer.

Sounds like cut-n-run to me, if that's what is going to happen. Watch the spin...good news from Iraq! They're ready! Government in place! etc., etc., etc.

[Modem Butterfly]

7. We're getting to the breaking point over there

Either they have to try to make a graceful exit or we're going to have a draft over here, and they do NOT want to do that before the 2006 election cycle.

[Extend a Hand]

8. our govt. doesn't have any intention of leaving Iraq

anytime soon. Our army will be camped out on top of their oil fields until every last drop is gone.

[FreedomAngel82]

20. Yep

If they do pull out of Iraq they'll just manipulate everything. I think it'll be like with Afghainstan.

[FreedomAngel82]

19. I do hope so

I would like us to leave Iraq. Of course Bush would have a whole fake scene like they did with the Saddam hole capture and the statue falling down. And watch they'll elect the president and all that then too. Then we'll leave. I bet they'll keep some troops there of course (probably those training the Iraqi's). Then Bush can run on this whole "we brought democracy" bullshit and more republicans can get elected by 2005. I think he still wants to go to Iran too. It sounds like Afghainstan all over again.

[Kolesar]

9. The collapse of enlistment is going to take care of our "Iraq problem"

The National Guard is broken. The Reserves are nearly broken, themselves. The Army is not getting enlistees. The only choice Bush* and Rumsfeld are going to have is to cancel discharges and keep sending soldiers back to Iraq for a third, fourth, or fifth deployment. I don't think the Army has the discipline or materiel' to sustain that. They're coming home.

The good thing is we have seen the end of empire.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. Methinks Bushco will try this tactic next to put warm bodies in Iraq. . .

The Army and Marines are having problems with recruitment, but the Navy and Air Force are not - they're not the troops on the ground.

I wouldn't put it past Rummy to have certain MOS's in the Navy and Air Force trained and converted to ground troops. Anything to avoid admitting defeat and announcing a draft.

:nuke:

[Kolesar]

11. Only if they are from "blue states"

To tell the truth, that actually sounds viable. Do you remember after the Christmas 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, that the US had to use Navy crew on the ground to unload the airplanes and helicopters with relief supplies? The Army, Marines and all the reserves and guards were "kind of busy" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I just hope we don't have another bad fire season. Last summer was not bad.

[DinahMoeHum]

15. Fire season, yeah. And don't forget hurricane season. . .

we already have a tropical storm called Arlene churning around in the Gulf of Mexico as we "speak".


:evilfrown:

[Redstone]

12. I can tell you why in six words:

Because they don't want us there.

Redstone

[Modem Butterfly]

17. Succint and to the point

Well-said.

[LynnTheDem]

13. We were fucked the minute bush & his Cartel decided to pull a Hitler.

America illegally INVADES and OCCUPIES sovereign nations that hadn't been doing anything to anyone.

My apologies for invoking Hitler, but what's the damn difference between what bush is doing & what Hitler did? BODYCOUNT?

[Karenina]

21. Didn't you read the minutes???

We're to STAY IN DENIAL until the numbers match!!!

[LynnTheDem]

22. I read them but...

I don't LIKE denial! :cry:

:D

[Karenina]

23. Look, we rent a barge this summer

float down it eating peeled grapes and watch the scenery. Mebbe you'll change your mind. I got some great sunscreen. 100% UV blockage. (I'm allergic).

[LynnTheDem]

24. Can we have a hunky male along to peel & feed us the grapes?

:)

[malmapus]

14. Well its good that they're not trying to make the "Jumpin Junkies" in Iraq

Apologies to any 82nd out there, I couldn't resist :)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Which side of the civil war will the Iraqi military be on?

The one that has already started under the benevolent tutolage of the American military.

When we are forced out (mission accomplised will be announced) the Iraqis in the three major factions will be shooting it out with plenty of support from: America, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and everyone else in the region that we have given "stability" to.