Rice Falsely Claims ‘Iraqi Military Is Fighting On Behalf Of All Iraqis’

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/14/rice-iraqi-military/

Rice Falsely Claims ‘Iraqi Military Is Fighting On Behalf Of All Iraqis’

A hallmark of President Bush’s Iraq policy is “as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down,” referring to the training of Iraqi security forces. But a progress report on Iraq earlier this week showed that “despite stepped-up training, the readiness of the Iraqi military to operate independently of U.S. forces has decreased” since the escalation began.

Nevertheless, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared on NBC’s Today Show yesterday and attempted to deny these reports, giving false portrayals of progress in training the Iraqi security forces:

{I}f you look at the way that they are fighting now, in a less sectarian fashion…I think they’re fighting on behalf of all Iraqis, where they showed up in the numbers that they are supposed to.

Watch it/read transcript at link~

In fact, sectarianism is as strong as ever in the security forces. Just last month, Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, in charge of transitioning the Iraqi forces, observed that the military is “riddled with sectarianism and corruption.” For example, Shiite militias allied with the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, have extensively infiltrated the National Police, units of which are perpetrating violence and forming death squads against Sunnis. Many ally with insurgents to kill U.S. soldiers.

Furthermore, at least one-third of the Iraqi Army is on leave at any one time. Desertion and other problems bring the total to over half in some units. Dempsey reported an annual attrition rate of 15 to 18 percent; in many cases, he said, Iraqi army commanders overreport attendance “so that he gets a payroll share more than he deserves and thereby pocket it.”

Ultimately, “the United States is arming different sides in multiple civil wars that could turn even more vicious in the coming years,” observes Center for American Progress fellows Brian Katulis and Lawrence Korb, who advocate a redeployment for U.S. troops and an end to the unconditional training of Iraqi security forces.

[acmavm]

1. She doesn't even care anymore that we know she's lieing to us

does she?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. any expectation that she would ever tell an inconvenient truth, instead

of the convenient lie, well, that is delusional.

By now, we have seen just how vile, immoral, and willing to lie this woman is. To be sure, a practiced, experienced and talented diplomat is supposed to be able to say no 100 times while making each time sound original, heartfelt and subject to change, but Condi is neither practiced, experienced nor talented. Nor is she a diplomat. She is a high-heeled stomping, small minded, shallow wanna-be who still thinks about Colin Powell and wondering why and how he made it seem so easy.

I just love how the Arab League and the israeli PM and FM specifically refused to allow her to attend their recent meeting. That says it all.

[tridim]

5. And yet I have some Dem friends who still claim she's "not all that bad"

I just have to shake my head in disgust. How can someone be enlightened about the rest of BushCo but not Condi? It blows my mind.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. even though she has fallen to under 50%,

she continues to be the most popular of the whole cabal. given her horrific track record, I just don't get it. She was the worst NSC chair since that position was created. She has been the worst Sexstate in history.

[JacquesMolay]

3. Actually, that's truer than she intended...

... since most are collaborating with the Iraqi insurgents.

[madokie]

4. What, this secretary of state and dr rice you speak of

:shrug: I forgot we even had a dr rice and a secretary of state
my apologies but what is she good for, what has she done for us Americans?

[Disturbed]

7. Send thank you notes to all of those Dems that voted for her.

Oh well, they couldn't vote no because she that would have been racist and sexist.

[Robbien]

8. The majority of Iraqi military is made up of Kurds

or at least that is true of the part of the Iraqi military the US trusts.

Notice they keep saying they cannot get the Iraqi military to leave their area and come DOWN to Baghdad to help them with their raids.

Rice is so full of it.