Jaw dropping Iraq factoid: Iraqi soldiers can leave units AT WILL

[Inland]

A perfect fact to illustrate both the hopelessness of our Iraq policy and the unfairness of it all to OUR troops. Iraq soldiers don't sign contracts and can just stop showing up. I wonder who makes them return their equipment? Do they get a bill, like our soldiers do when they can't account for the body armor cut from their wounded bodies? If they get a bill, who collects it? A reservist from Tacoma?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041301157.html
U.S., Iraq Commanders Dislike Leave Rules

By ANTONIO CASTANEDA
The Associated Press
Thursday, April 13, 2006; 4:17 PM

ABU GHRAIB, Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi commanders are increasingly critical of a policy that lets Iraqi soldiers leave their units virtually at will _ essentially deserting with no punishment. They blame the lax rule for draining the Iraqi ranks to confront the insurgency _ in some cases by 30 percent or even half.

Iraqi officials, however, say they have no choice but to allow the policy, or they may gain virtually no volunteers.

Most armies threaten imprisonment or fines for soldiers who abruptly leave their units, but the Iraqi army does not require its soldiers to sign contracts. That means they can quit anytime and casually treat enlistments as temporary jobs. Soldiers can even pick up their belongings and leave during missions _ and often do without facing punishment.

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[wtmusic]

1. Pay them what our mercs get and it won't be a problem. nt

[Inland]

2. Sure, but after Halliburton and the privateers get paid,

there's nothing left. The very point of a militar, according to Bushco, is a pool that can't leave no matter how badly they are abused. Iraq better get with the program.

[wtmusic]

3. This just goes from bad to worse nt

:(

[NNN0LHI]

4. Wow! Soldiers with minds of their own. What a concept

Definitely worth studying.

Don

[Crazy Dave]

5. WOW! And our soldiers are being forced to stay longer....

...than their original commitment with the US "Stop-loss" policy. Makes the term "volunteer army" an oxymoron.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. Yeah it's an 'all volunteer' military, unless you happen to get

'volunteered' 2 or 3 years past your original commitment.

That is, "volunteered" by being unlucky enough to be one of the poor saps who happened to be in the military when shrubco took office.

[Crazy Dave]

14. Exactly and....

...it infuriates me to no end when I hear people who are pro-war say, "duh...they volunteered". Some were living in poverty and had no other way out and let's not forget the predatory practices of the military of going into lower income neighborhoods 90% of the time for recruitment. And lastly, with college education becoming as expensive as health care, some joined for the chance to improve their lives and the lives of many others. I wonder how many would-be future doctors, nurses, scientists and engineers have been killed in this war of choice, not a war against terror or against an attack on the US itself or one of it's allies.

[acmejack]

6. That's simply ridiculous!

Must everything associated with these people be halfassed?

[Neil Lisst]

7. the Iraqi Army makes ARVN look like Special Forces

It's like when you teach your kids to ride a bike. You cannot run along behind their bike for 3 years with your hand on the bike and expect them to be able to do it. They don't really learn until you let go.

BTW, get used to that experience, since that's what raising kids is all about - learning when to let go on the next step.

[Inland]

9. The analogy I used was the cons. welfare reform.

In welfare reform, the theory was, tell everyone they've got two years to figure out a way to make a living, help them with education and training for two years, and then they are on their own...and make sure they know you are serious. They'll find a way.

Funny how that theory is good enough for American poor but not Iraqis. Bush enables them by letting them know that until they stand up, he won't stand down....and you know, the guy who stands up may get his head blown off, so just put the day off and let Americans do it.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

10. 'As the Iraqis stand up, we'll stand down' LOL. What's the homily for

when the Iraqis bug out?

[kurth]

11. So this is the Iraqi "army" Bush is bragging about

Just another worthless Potemkin show.

[Igel]

12. Yep. This was the great and dreaded Iraqi army

that so many pundits would inflict huge losses during an invasion.

But while some units took a beating, as soon as the central authority bugged out, the troops were gone. Vanished. No defenders. Little loyalty from the principle official leaders to the people, and little from the people to the principle official leaders. Fear, me thinks, but not loyalty per se.

It's also the army--a few weeks after it melted into the woodwork--that was disbanded to such outcry. Then, as now, they were awol but drawing pay, at least officially.

Iraq's toast. It was only kept together through oppression and bribery, and too many of the people most willing to bear arms and kill for power are loyal only to non-state-level entities. Yugoslavia, here we come.

I just hope the parallels to the Slovenes (and the Macedonians) stay safe.

[3waygeek]

13. You're looking at this the wrong way...

Bush is just offering the Iraqis the same deal he had when he was in the Texas Air National Guard. :evilgrin: