(Brigadier General Dana Pittard) U.S. to triple number of military trainers in Iraq

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military plans to speed up the training of Iraq's army by tripling its number of embedded trainers to about 9,000, while keeping a close eye on units' sectarian loyalties, a U.S. general said on Sunday.

Brigadier General Dana Pittard, whose Iraqi Assistance Group oversees training of Iraq's security forces, also said each of the nine police brigades would be taken off the streets over the next nine months for one month-long training.

A number of police units have been accused of colluding with, or being infiltrated by Shi'ite militia death squads targeting minority Sunnis. An explosion of sectarian violence since February has pushed the country toward all-out civil war.

"Over the next couple of months we will augment the transition teams to double or triple their size," Pittard said, noting that the teams training the Iraqi army were now 3,000-strong.

more;http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/12/17/us_to_triple_number_of_military_trainers_in_iraq/

[Drum]

1. Yes, since the Iraqi army can't all learn English quickly enough

to make up for the dearth of US military trained in Arabic, more and louder shouting must be the solution....
:sarcasm:

[Zorra]

2. Close eye? Better get a microscope, the Shi'ites seem to have

a real knack for organization and infiltration.

[BenDavid]

3. Here again is

another reason we have "CUSTERFUCK" in Iraq....Another General trying to find the right solution....

[rodeodance]

4. U.S. to triple number of military trainers in Iraq

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061217/ts_nm/iraq_military_training_dc

U.S. to triple number of military trainers in Iraq

By Ross Colvin 2 hours, 21 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military plans to speed up the training of
Iraq's army by tripling its number of embedded trainers to about 9,000, while keeping a close eye on units' sectarian loyalties, a U.S. general said on Sunday.


Brigadier General Dana Pittard, whose Iraqi Assistance Group oversees training of Iraq's security forces, also said each of the nine police brigades would be taken off the streets over the next nine months for one month-long training.

A number of police units have been accused of colluding with, or being infiltrated by Shi'ite militia death squads targeting minority Sunnis. An explosion of sectarian violence since February has pushed the country toward all-out civil war.

"Over the next couple of months we will augment the transition teams to double or triple their size," Pittard said, noting that the teams training the Iraqi army were now 3,000-strong.

[ckramer]

5. There is nothing US can do in Iraq no matter what

Just give it up already.

Only one thing is sure - wasting US more time and money and lives.

[truthisfreedom]

6. If you want to understand what's happening to us in Iraq, just read anything by Paul Bowles.

He's a master of stories about know-it-all Americans going to the Middle East and being devoured and destroyed by cultures they cannot possibly understand.