LAT: Army is training advisors for Iraq

[DeepModem Mom]

Army is training advisors for Iraq
The mission signals the U.S. vision of its long-term role there.
By Peter Spiegel, Times Staff Writer
October 25, 2006

....Here (in rural Kansas), amid rolling fields dotted by scores of quickly built barracks, the Army is building a training base that by early next year will be turning as many as 2,000 of its most promising midlevel officers into military advisors every two months, most of them headed to Iraq.

The mission reflects the U.S. military's vision of its long-range role in Iraq — as advisors for local forces that will be doing the actual fighting. But it represents something of a gamble as well: The effort is sucking thousands out of their normal combat deployments at a time when American forces are facing personnel shortages as violence in Iraq surges.

It is also a signal that, as commanders in Iraq move to re-evaluate tactics in the wake of a faltering Baghdad offensive and rising U.S. casualties, the work of military advisors is likely to emerge as a pillar of any plan to withdraw American troops. In Baghdad on Tuesday, Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said it might take more U.S. troops to quell violence in Baghdad.

There are 3,600 military advisors in Iraq training, organizing and accompanying Iraqi units into action. But as the effort at Ft. Riley ramps up, Army officials acknowledge that number could grow by thousands in the coming months — and perhaps tens of thousands once Afghanistan is added to the program....

***

The size and scope of the new effort, which began in June with the arrival at Ft. Riley of the first class of prospective advisors, is a sign of how seriously the Army is taking the mission....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-advisors25oct25,0,1951485.story?coll=la-home-nation

[TomInTib]

1. Oh, Jesus, this is beyond the pale.

Right through the effing looking glass.

Super-stupid Vietnam redux.

[struggle4progress]

2. Anybody wanna bet on how excitedly Iraqis await US advisors?

"No, really, this time we know what we're talking about ..."

[aquart]

3. This is beyond insane.

Iraqis have been skillfully killing themselves and their neighbors for thousands of years. THEY DON'T NEED ADVICE.

[Kagemusha]

4. Now that's just not true.

It's a recently learned art over there in Iraq itself.

[aquart]

13. Babylon. Iraq is Babylon. It's Ur.

THOUSANDS of years.

[Kagemusha]

14. I don't think the Babylonians did suicide bombs.

That's sorta my point, but hey, old dogs can learn new tricks.

[aquart]

15. Do not sneer at the Babylonians.

They perfected cruelty. That place has traditions!

[lapfog_1]

5. "Mr. American officer sir, could you enter the next building FIRST

and show us ignorant Iraqis how this is done???"

[saigon68]

7. The Snipers will have a field day with these easy targets

It is Viet Nam Redux

I call it Iraq Nam

[DeepModem Mom]

8. I knew you would have a comment on this, saigon --

Did I just miss news of this, which has been going on since June, or is this the first we've heard about it?

[saigon68]

9. The first tapes were on Ogrish

Hardly something they allow to be posted here

The MSM would never show them. It took courage from CNN even to refer to them

PM me I'll give you a link

[coalition_unwilling]

12. I call it "Vietnam on Crack" (n/t)

[Trajan]

6. Sheesh ..... This cabal is running backward .....

Full Speed Behind, and DAMN the historical lessons learnt !

What kind of nostalgic mindfuck is at play here ? ....

WTF is WRONG with these people ? ....

[AlCzervik]

10. it's officially Vietiraq.

[coalition_unwilling]

11. I noticed this past week that the number of 2LT and 1LT KIA is

starting to creep up steadily. Up until now, KIA had mostly been enlisted (grunts and mid- and senior-NCOs). Well, all those junior officers being trained as "advisors" (yeah, right) are going to be fed into the meat grinder. All I can say (and it pains me to say it) is "caveat emptor" (Let the buyer beware).

[dbt]

16. Deja Nam. Viet Vu.

"Advisors," now. How long before there is "a light at the end of the tunnel?" When will "peace be at hand?" Damn lucky thing that Kissinger's still alive so we can have some negotiations stall out in Paris over the shape of the conference table!

"The one thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history." George Bernard Shaw.

:freak:
dbt
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