1 out of 80 Iraqi battalions functional

[Marleyb]

This article is by republican Paul Craig Roberts...unbelievable that the Bush Administration pretends to be making progress in Iraq. At this rate we'll be in Iraq...only a few hundred more years...

"George W. Bush is a natural born liar. He lied us into a war, and now he is lying to keep us there. In his October 6 self-congratulatory speech at that neoconservative shrine, the National Endowment for Democracy, the President of the United States said: "Today there are more than 80 Iraqi army battalions fighting the insurgency alongside our forces."

Eighty Iraqi battalions makes it sound like the US is just lending Iraq a helping hand. I wonder what Congress and the US commanders in Iraq thought when they heard there were 80 Iraqi battalions that American troops are helping to fight insurgents? Just a few days prior to Bush’s speech, Generals Casey and Abizaid told Congress that, as a matter of fact, there was only one Iraqi battalion able to undertake operations against insurgents...

Iraqis cannot afford to collaborate with the hated Americans or with the puppet government that the US has put in place. Out of desperation, some do, but their heart is not in it. Few Iraqis are willing to die fighting for the United States.

When the 2nd Iraq Battalion graduated from US training camp on January 6, 2004, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and US commander in Iraq, Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, expressed "high expectations" that Iraqi troops, in the general’s words, "would help us bring security and stability back to the country."

Three months later when the 2nd Battalion was brought up to support the US invasion of Fallujah, the battalion refused to fight and returned to its post. "We did not sign up to fight Iraqis," said the troops."

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/artice10591.htm

He goes on to say that since congress and the media won't hold bush accountable through impeachment,it is up to We the People- through the internet. He suggests we start our own impeachment petitions and embarrass our representatives into action, but so far gathering signatures has been pretty useless.

Maybe we could all start wearing this shirt around and trying to get in background scenes on the evening news...


http://www.cafepress.com/cuckoobanana

[TheFarseer]

1. This looks so similar to what I have heard about Vietnam

We cannot win if the public doesn't support us. In Korea, the public supported us, which is why we "won", at least in the sense that S. Korea remained democratic. In Vietnam, we lost because we had no public support. I think we have almost zero public support in Iraq. We might have had a slight chance to get the public on our side at the openning of the war, but that's gone now. If we lose, and I think it's inevitable now, it will be because of the will of the Iraqi people and nothing else.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. "Functional" = Bungling American style.

American efforts to subdue Iraq are a history of hubris, bungling, and a complete misunderstanding of how to "win" a war.

It would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic.

[Marleyb]

3. 'when the Iraqi people stand up, we'll stand down'

So...the Iraqi insurgents are standing up and demanding that we end the occupation...doesn't that count?

Based on Bush's requirements, Iraqis turn on their country for money or we're never leaving. The Iraqis are good people so it looks like we'll be staying...forever.

How many more have to die in this mess? How long will they get away with these lies? Somebody stop them!