Two battalions of Iraqi troops swallowed by the earth!

[Career Prole]

Cheney (with Blitzer), June 2005

Q Senator Joseph Biden, the ranking Democrat, on the Foreign Relations Committee just came back from Iraq. He says that the U.S. is currently training 107 battalions of Iraqi troops and only three of those battalions are fully capable right now to take charge.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, a year ago there weren't any Iraqi battalions at all. It takes time to get a battalion up to speed where you take in the recruits, you train them, you equip them. It will take time to create a fully competent U.S. battalion if you started from scratch. We've got a lot of them in the pipeline. There are several different stages. There are three or four (battalions) now that are up to the top level in terms of competence and capability, able to operate on their own. There are a lot more coming along behind them. So I feel very good about where we are with respect to training.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050623-8.html

Today...A scant three months later...

WASHINGTON - The number of Iraqi battalions capable of combat without U.S. support has dropped from three to one, the top American commander in Iraq told Congress Thursday, prompting Republicans to question whether U.S. troops will be able to withdraw next year...

http://tinyurl.com/dyo44

And in all the reports I've read of this so far not one reporter has asked the begged question, "Well, where the fuck did the other battalions go? Did they ever exist in the first place? Who, Sir, is zoomin' who?""

3,000 fully trained Iraqi troops...vanished into the desert air.

Disappeared? Or merely a figment of the administration's fever dreams?
(Cue Twilight Zone music)

[louis-t]

1. B-b-b-u-u-u-t Condi said 2 years ago there were 200k

troops fully trained. Ya think she mighta been-----------LYING!?

[Career Prole]

2. The possibility exists. We've examined the unedited footage

and her mouth was indeed moving as the statement was made.
This is a strong indicator of another repuke whopper on the way. ;)

[morgan2]

5. ya 200k trained fighters from Saddam's armies

half of which are fighting us now?

[fooj]

6. Oh NOOOOOOOOOO! Maybe she was CONFUSED by the #'s...

Too busy shopping for shoes!

Peace.

[LeFleur1]

8. Lying

Perhaps these questions concerning validity of number of Iraqi trained battalions story could be sent to Tim Russett at Meet The Press.
He suckerpunched the Jefferson parish President on Sunday's show alleging that his earlier heartfelt mourning over the way FEMA handled disaster emergency may not have been valid.

Since Russet is suddenly oh so concerned about valid stories maybe he would take this 'number of Iraqi battalions ready' story on.

Like that would happen.

[Wickerman]

3. excellent analysis - Bet a similar post could be made for police numbers

:eyes:

[win_in_06]

4. Retention problems on both sides of the ocean

[KC21304]

7. You must read the whole article for the money quote.

General Casey actually said " Have we lost ground ? ABSOLUTELY NOT "

[Career Prole]

9. Precious, ain't it?

I raised hell about the "trained troops" inflation back in June, when Biden said he had heard there were only three battalions able to operate independently.

If memory serves, it was General Casey who told Biden back then that there were three battalions up-running.

"...Take one down, pass it around
One battalion of troops on the ground!"

Steven Wright should do this interview...
"Well, we didn't lose the battalions. We know where the battalions are.
It's just that when we blow the bugle they don't come anymore."

[0007]

10. I watched this fiasco today on c-span3, I just about choked

when Casey said ABSOLUTELY NOT. Lose two divisions, have one left. Casey said that with a straight face. Susan Collins said I feel that we're going backward. Another General said, we're making progress you just have to be there to see it! OMFG

[xchrom]

11. alice through the looking glass.

i don't care if they go through -- i just want them to stop trying to take me with them.

[Career Prole]

12. We're quite safe. The looking glass does not yield to DUers!

But we can still see the circus on t'other side. :eyes: