Army Replaces Commander in Charge of Training Iraqi Security Forces

[maddezmom]

By THOM SHANKER
Published: July 23, 2005
WASHINGTON, July 22 - The Pentagon announced Friday that Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who has been in charge of efforts to train Iraqi security forces, has completed his yearlong tour of duty and will become commander of the Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.


Named to replace him was Maj. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, who also was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general, the Pentagon statement said.

Senior Bush administration and Pentagon officials say the training of Iraqi security forces is critical to stabilizing the country and to supporting a political process that will allow the reduction of American forces in Iraq, perhaps as early as next year.

It has been a daunting and complicated task. A newly declassified Pentagon assessment released to Congress said only "a small number" of Iraqi security forces can fight insurgents without American assistance, although about a third of the Iraqi Army is capable of "planning, executing and sustaining counterinsurgency operations" with support.

more:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/23/politics/23army.html

[leetrisck]

1. General Petraeus was supposed to fix all

according to the "powers that be" when he was sent there. Latest report doesn't sound like we are better off with the police and military - wonder what happened - if this was going well, he would not have been replaced.

[Hissyspit]

2. It is very possibly an IMPOSSIBLE task. n/t

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. Masters of massacres & deceit - training Iraq's security forces??

.
.
.

Poor Iraqi citizenry is all I can say . .

(sigh)

[Bigmack]

4. Alternate reality...

I caught about a minute of one of the local rightwingnut radio hosts last night. He was saying that the Iraqis are making great strides in putting together an army and police force, and that US troops will start coming home soon with mission accomplished.

Is he lying to the sheep, or does he really believe what he's saying.. contrary to the Pentagon assessment? Do those people have an alternate view of reality?

Jon Stewart had a couple of great visuals showing what tiny percentage of Iraqi forces are ready.

[meganmonkey]

8. Alternate reality, I think

The people who are still believers are brainwashed, IMHO. They repeated the propaganda so many times that even when they slip and say the truth it doesn't override the sheeple's belief that Iraq was connected to 911 and whatnot and that we're doing a good job 'over there'. It's scary. I've had a couple of bumper-sticker confrontations lately and the people who are offended ('Bush is a Punk-Ass Chump') are very angry and rather frightening to me.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

5. what is the definition of "insanity" again?

[goforit]

6. 1000 changes ain't gonna fix your problem boys/ It makes it worse.

[democratic veteran]

7. Just like 'Nam

One year tour? Sounds familiar.

[WhiteTara]

9. Negroponte wants to get

the death squad goons set up faster and actual training gets in the way.

[pfitz59]

10. Ticket punchers.......

Career military has folks who serve in a position just long enough to get their "ticket punched". Doesn't really matter how good they do, its just another line on the resume. Iraq is a perfect place for caeerist scum, especially in the senior ranks. (REMFs - Kuwait/Qatar/green zone - get the same combat pay, and combat awards as the poor suckers laying on the line!) BUSHCO rewards incompetence!