Trainers skeptical on training"It almost feels like 'What are we here for?' " the Marine told Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard, the Army officer sent to Iraq in June to overhaul the Pentagon's military advisor program. "Now the philosophy is 'Train who's there.' "
Pittard has been visiting teams at bases across Iraq recently, checking their progress. Other advisors told him similar stories. Progress is slow. Corruption and fuel shortages are endemic. And 75% of Iraqi soldiers don't show up for duty.
They have no cellphones. Their Internet access expires this month. Their six Humvees, all more than 2 years old, have been repeatedly hit by roadside bombs. They're so unreliable, the advisors have had to delay missions and borrow a Humvee from the Iraqis.
The Iraqi brigade headquarters itself is a security risk, advisors said. Located in an old hospital building in nearby Tikrit, it's too close to the street, with minimal security. Recently, the brother of the executive officer of the Iraqi battalion was kidnapped and killed after the officer refused to wear a suicide belt of explosives to work, they said.
Look closely at the Iraq Study Group report and Bush’s strategy and you will find that training is the keystone for both and training is not working.
Given the above conditions, it is highly unlikely that Iraqi troops trained to replace U.S. troop will be ready before several thousand more U.S. troops die and we waste another trillion dollars.
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