Looming U.S. exit to complicate Iraqi training

[unhappycamper]

A squad of Iraqi soldiers clears a building during an exercise at the Besmaya Training Center. Housed at a former Republican Guard complex, the center includes 26 weapons ranges, M1A1 tank training and a bomb disposal school. U.S. advisers as a model, but questions remain about the center's future as the U.S. pulls back.


Looming U.S. exit to complicate Iraqi training
By Michael Gisick, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, January 2, 2010

BESMAYA TRAINING CENTER, Iraq — In many ways, this collection of dusty ranges and well-tended barracks south of Baghdad represents the culmination of the U.S. military’s years-long effort to train the Iraqi army.

Roughly 75 percent of Iraqi units have been through training here, much of which is now led by a cadre of 800 Iraqi soldiers. Specialized instruction includes an M1A1 tank course and a bomb disposal school.

As the U.S. military contemplates its exit from Iraq, Baghdad-based officers involved in the training effort say the Iraqis are nearly ready to take over the $24 million a year program in Besmaya and others like it.

The Iraqis, however, disagree.

“If the Americans leave, the training here will fall apart or become fake training,” said Iraqi Army Col. Abbas Fadhil Sahib, the commander at Besmaya. “We will have to put a sign on the gate that says, ‘We are very sorry to accept you for training.’ ”


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66982

[MineralMan]

1. As with our own children, there comes a time when they must leave

and try to make a go of it on their own. We can't watch over them forever.