US General: "need another 19 months" to train the new Sunni "Concerned Local Citizen" militia

[sabra]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/5365607.html

<snip>

Gaskin said al-Qaida "is defeated" in Anbar province, but that its fighters "will always attempt to come back."

Despite the security improvements, Gaskin would not predict when U.S. forces may be able to leave the area, saying only that Iraqi security forces have a long way to go to operate independently.

"They are relatively new — it's been less than a year since these forces have been organized," Gaskin said. "They have to be trained, and they have to gain experience" and need another 19 months to become self-sustaining logistically, tactically and operationally, he said.

[magellan]

1. How convenient. n/t

[terisan]

2. If Gaskin needs 19 months to accomplish that, he needs to be demoted to lieutenant. nt

[tuckessee]

3. Don't forget he's using military time which is different than civilian time.

When they say "19 months" it means "forever" in the real world.

[Homer Wells]

4. When I enlisted in the Army back in the 60's,

it took the military just under six months to train me for my job, after which I was sent to Viet Nam to perform said job.

With the Iraqi training methods, it is not the TRAINING that requires all this time, it is the US attempt to make them accept our position as the ultimate authority and more knowledgeable about their society than they are.

Considering the BushCo mindset of winning the hearts and minds of the people by sending them to Allah (cue the flowers and chocolate), any number they pull out of the air fits, as all estimates eventually equal FOREVER.

We will see they day when Iraqi soldiers accept this philosophy on the same day CNN comes on with a Breaking News Story, regarding the emergence of camels in the region unexpectedly sprouting wings, and flying across the desert.

:puke: