Now the Iraqi's can't defend themselves...which is it ? Lying again?

[cthrumatrix]

Dubious Data
Days after U.S. commanders announced that training Iraqi security forces will be a primary strategic goal of U.S. troops in Iraq, the Bush administration abruptly altered its weekly reports on the status of Iraq’s police and military forces.

This week, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the Weekly Iraq Status Reports “the best data anyone has in the world” on the pace of Iraqi security force training. Yet recent reports include several extreme changes that require White House explanation. For example, the status report issued on 1/19/05 documented 7,598 personnel in Iraq’s Army; just two weeks later, the number of Army personnel had reportedly ballooned to 56,284. The purported number of Iraqi Navy and Air Force personnel also changed dramatically. On 1/19/05, the status report listed 145 Iraqi Air Force personnel and 495 Iraqi Navy personnel; the numbers are seemingly swapped in the latest report, with 139 Navy personnel and 526 Air Force personnel listed.

Several important statistics have also been consolidated or eliminated entirely from the latest reports. For example, over at least the last five months, the reports have included both the number of “Trained/On Hand” soldiers as well as the target “Required” number; the “Required” category has been completely removed as of 1/26/05. Also, the categorization of security forces has been consolidated from twelve categories to only five, making it impossible to distinguish, for instance, between the numbers of personnel in the National Guard, the Intervention Force, or the Army. Since these different force components require different amounts of training, the conflation of categories makes it even more difficult to track the pace of Iraqi security force training.

http://www.thinkprogress.org/
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Plus a "Rummy story from this weekend"

Rumsfeld: Iraq Needs Time for Military

Mon Feb 7, 1:52 AM ET White House - AP Cabinet & State


By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Once its internal security forces are trained to handle violent insurgents, Iraq (news - web sites) will require more time to build a military force strong enough to meet any threats from Iran or other neighbors, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld says.

Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) and Rumsfeld, appearing separately on Sunday talk shows, agreed Iraq will shape its own government and will reflect its political and social demands in that system, not those of the United States. The role religion will play will be for Iraqis to decide, Cheney said.


"This is going to be Iraqi, whatever it is. It's not going to be American. It's not going to look like Wyoming or New York when they get their political process all put together," Cheney told "Fox News Sunday."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=703&e=3&u=/ap/20050207/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iraq

When Rice testfied...the Iraq's are all trained and ready to go. BUT..that would mean the US would have to leave....get it?

[rkc3]

1. I thought Bernie Kerik trained these guys months ago -

at least that's what he was supposed to be doing while he was over there earning a boatload of cash.

[cthrumatrix]

2. the point is...they cannot be trained --- the US would have to leave then

[rkc3]

3. I get it now - they're just not smart enough to protect themselves.

I'll start the firearms and hand-to-hand combat training with my kids tomorrow. That way, when they're drafted they'll be leaps and bounds ahead of their contemporaries.

At 9 and 6, they should suck up this training like a sponge.