U.S. Plans to Enlist Iraqis in Operations

[kskiska]

Civil Force Is Intended To Quell Resistance

Sunday, July 20, 2003; Page A01

CAMP AS SALIYAH, Qatar, July 19 -- U.S. military commanders plan to train and arm thousands of Iraqis to conduct military missions alongside U.S. and British troops in an effort to restore security and quell resistance by forces loyal to ousted president Saddam Hussein, the new head of U.S. military forces in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East said today.

"The Iraqis want to be in the fight," Army Gen. John P. Abizaid said in his first interview since taking over U.S. Central Command this month. "We intend to get them in the fight."

Plans to create a militia-like civil defense force signal a new approach to the task of establishing order in postwar Iraq, where 36 U.S. troops have been killed in attacks since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1.

In the wake of the Iraqi military's defeat at the hands of U.S. and British forces, Abizaid said, it "will take years" to create a new, professional Iraqi army. "In the interim, we need civil defense forces that can operate with coalition forces, and eventually alone," he said.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17130-2003Jul19.html?nav=hptop_tb

[hedda_foil]

1. Oh yeah. That's gonna work.

NOT! WTF is wrong with these schmucks? Even the military types are totally clueless. Can you say hell in a handbasket, boys and girls? I knew you could.

[wtmusic]

2. Winning hearts and minds v. 3247 n/t

[4dsc]

3. training for a civil war perhaps

who in the hell thought of this idea??

[teryang]

4. It's the Vietnamization of the war

I remember how well it worked last time around.

[JackSwift]

7. You beat me to it...

Iraqiization will not even work that well.

[bemildred]

5. Really thrashing around, aren't they?

Well, I suppose the resistance will be able to make
good use of the arms we supply.

[bvar22]

6. My thoughts exactly, bemildred.

x

[bahrbearian]

8. Human Sheilds?

We thought that was only for Sadam.

[scisyhp]

9. Soviets did it in Afghanistan.

All it does is to create an extra source for supplying weapons
and ammunition for the rebels.

[reprobate]

10. Remember what happened to the top brass in the runnup to war?

All the brass that opposed the PNAC plans were retired or transferred to posts where they couldn't interfere with the bushite war plans.

The people leading the forces today are the ones that were approved by the PNAC leadership as having the proper mindset. Forget the fact that they have little or no field experience. Don't expect any independant thinking from this bunch. They will do what the fascists dictate.