Wonder how that Iraqi army is coming along?

[proud2BlibKansan]

U.S. troops give Iraqi soldiers crash course in basic training
Subjects include marksmanship, weapons safety

By Anita Powell, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, November 29, 2005

HAWIJA, Iraq — Despite having spent a year in the Iraqi army, Pvt. Juma Ali Khalaf, who says he does not know how to read or write, has never been formally taught how to fire his AK-47, which he carries daily in his job as a checkpoint guard in northern Iraq.

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Despite rosy predictions, the first group’s initial day of training got off to a shaky start. The small group of soldiers who showed up Saturday morning — originally they numbered 33, but two showed up five hours late — were scantily equipped for the mission. Between them, they carried six helmets. One complained that his boots did not fit. Others made a litany of requests for basic equipment.

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At the shooting range, American soldiers patiently corrected the soldiers, whose shooting skills did markedly improve under their tutelage. However, just an hour into shooting practice, a group of soldiers retreated to a nearby berm and put down their weapons, saying they did not want to continue.

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“When you take a guy off the street who’s wondering where he’s going to get the money to buy his next meal, how are you going to talk to him about lofty ideals of freedom and liberty?” Hutson said. “You have to show them they can win. It’s getting better. It’s getting better every day. The hardest part for us is patience. … It didn’t get this way overnight, and it’s not going to change overnight.”

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=32472&archive=true

[barb162]

1. Listening to Bush this week, can anyone tell?

[Erika]

2. Oh my God, and this is out of Stars & Stripes?

And W, Rummy, and the rest have the unmitigated gall to tell the nation that real progress is being made in Iraq?

I'm sure this type of info is what the commanders passed on to Murtha.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Surprising isn't it?

[Erika]

4. Disgusting is what it is. W lied to us once more.

I hope this article from Stars and Stripes makes the mainstream news.

We're losing our troops to a country that is still in the 7th century and has no plans on advancing anytime in the future.

I am sure that this type of info is what was passed on to Murtha by the commanders causing him to speak out.