IRAQ ARMY TO TAKE OVER MUCH OF WEST (Anbar)

[bemildred]

Officials said the U.S. military has been training and mentoring Iraqi forces to take over a significant portion of security assignments in the Anbar province and other areas by the end of 2005. They said Iraq Army battalions would take the lead in patrols and counter-insurgency operations, now directed by the United States.

"They're becoming more proficient with their planning tools and their ability to direct and support their forces," Maj. Gen. Stephen Johnson, commander of Multinational Force West, said. "And we also are starting to see the link between the division headquarters and the Iraqi army command forces is growing too as they learn how to do these skills as well."

Johnson, responsible for security in western Iraq, told a Pentagon briefing that half of the battalions would be ready this month to take the lead in planning, coordinating and executing operations. He said 18 Iraqi battalions have been deployed in his area.

ME NewsLine (Teaser)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

1. Let's see...if I remember correctly, we turned over several areas of....

...South Vietnam to the South Vietnamese troops as we prepared to withdraw from that country more than thirty years ago. The NVA regulars cut through the SV troops like a hot knife through butter...we were fortunate to get as many people out of Saigon as we did.

The Iraqi Army will be like lambs led to the slaughter...they are at least 2-3 years away from being ready.

[enigma000]

3. How long did the Americans stick around for after that?

Did they keep some troops as backup, or was the withdrawal completed before the NVA attacked?

[nguoihue]

16. Withdrawal from Viet Nam

The US began withdrawing troops under Nixon's "Vietnamization" plan in late 1969. For the most part this phased withdrawal was completed by early 1973 despite a large "Easter Offensive" in 1972. Saigon fell 30 April 1975.

[ewagner]

8. EXACTLY!

My first thoughts also......

Vietnam-ization = Iraqi-ization.

[daleo]

2. Anbar province - that's where Fallujah is

Or at least what's left of it. This seems like an odd choice.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. What better place for the Iraqi Army to make it's initial stand...

...than on the phosphorous-bleached bones of Fallujah's children.

It would be odd if this weren't the place.

[daleo]

11. Well, the resistance was very stiff in Fallujah

Maybe the U.S. military thinks they eradicated them, but I have my doubts. This seems like putting your second string in the game (for the first time) against the other side's A-team.

I grant you that it does have the Bush touch of being the most inappropriate symbolism imaginable.

[bemildred]

6. No oil there, lots of US troops dying there.

I can understand the "logic". It should be just as easy to pretend the Iraqi government is in control of it as it has been to pretend that we are in control of it, and a lot cheaper. On the other hand, it's going to become a "safe haven" in no time flat. If the Sunni resistance doesn't have to spend time defending their own turf, they may find other things to do ...

[bahrbearian]

5. What's left of it anyway.

[grytpype]

7. What a nice surprise.

I guess that means Bush can pull some troops out now. And just a few days ago Bush said pulling out troops was impossible and would result in defeat for us.

[Clara T]

9. Love the way they call it "The Iraq Army"

and how the disgusting media portrays the situation as "descending into chaos" and "To gain credibility in the region the US forces must...", and "It's time for the Iraqis to take care of themselves" and so on, as if there were no gorilla in the room.

These "Iraqi Forces" are getting their marching orders from "Iraqi Division Headquarters" which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pentagon.

Proxies.

This stuff is not difficult to figure out. The bulk of the "Iraq Forces" will be positioned at the energy corridor hotspots. US troops will slowly withdraw to US installations, some will be sent home and others sent for duty to Western Africa to protect those energy hotspots.

Victory.

Of course there will be the usual death squads and paramilitary incursions as well as numerous disappearances of union leaders and other pesky folks who wish for autonomy.

Negroponte

[NMDemDist2]

10. welcome to DU Clara!

:hi:

[lostexpectation]

12. bodycount

I wonder what the death toll for Iraqi police or Army personel is far more then 2,000?

The Iraqi body count talks of civilian deaths?

are who get killed by car bombs lining up to join the police/army , civilian or not?

[mzmolly]

13. It's amazing what a coming election and public opinion polls will do.

Good news I think?

[54anickel]

14. Wasn't it the Anbar province that had the most trouble with the last

election on the constitution? Low turnout and attacks at the polls to keep people from voting if I recall correctly.

[annabanana]

15. We are putting the Shi'a militias in charge of

Sunni central? Is this what we're doing?

[VegasWolf]

17. Makes sense. The EAST is where the OIL Pipeline is. Bush won't

give up the Oil.

:puke:

[Hyernel]

18. So the ARVAN are taking over...

Unfortunately, I believe that the so-called Iraqi Army is fully infiltrated by the insurgency. 'Cut and Runsfeld' is too desperate to even have a token force to take the trouble to filter out the bad elements.

This will end badly, I feah!

[neverforget]

19. Any bets that we will have to go back in and "save" the Iraqi nuts from

the fire?

[Miss Chybil]

20. Now that we've trained them, I wonder how long before we have to fight

them? Considering the fact history likes to repeat itself and it seems, I remember, we trained OBL, and what's his name in Panama. So, I'm wondering when the Iraqis will turn around and want to fight us?

What? They already are, you say? Ah, get out of here..