[Happy2BMe]

I know - I know - it's Hackworth.

But there indeed does appear to be "Another Side of The Coin."

[Happy2BMe]

Reality ping.

"Yet our high brass has been stating that the training of the Iraqi army is already a tremendous success. Nothing is being said about most of the Kurds refusing to serve because of their feelings toward the Arabs. Nor that a lot of the men volunteering for the Iraqi army are of poor quality and seem to be signing up only for a quick buck: They join for a few weeks and then quit after they've picked up a few dinars.

In one day alone last month, 139 NCO School candidates handed in their quit slips because they were Arabs who couldn't get along with Kurds or visa versa, or they didn't like the training or were just homesick and headed out the front gate."

[MNJohnnie]

- to replace our overextended forces

Same old lie.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/global-deployments.htm

Out of a total of 78 Combat Brigades in the US ARMY and Reserves (just the Army, not the Marines) we have 27 Deployed (21 active, 6 National Guard) EVERYWHERE in the world. This total includes those deployed, returing from deployment or training for deployment. GEE, less than half are Army and a bare fraction of our Navy and Air Force deployed yet we are "over extended"?

Maybe we better trust our Professional Commanders and the Bush team rather then the rantings of a "news media" pundit? After all, the "news media" got Afganistan wrong, Iraq last year wrong (remember the bogged down hysteria) and Iraq this month WRONG. Why should we take them serious NOW?

[Destro]

What's wrong with Hackworth?

[Bommer]

I know - I know - it's Hackworth.

First half of the name says it all.

[Betaille]

"Otherwise, there's no way we'll ever be able to execute our nonexistent exit plan. This con game reminds me of Vietnam"
And with that... I stopped reading. He has no credibility and is a left-wing political hack. I'm pretty upset to see this on military.com. I usually like that page alot.

[thoughtomator]

We know that they will fight for what they believe in. Indeed, we see it every day - they are dedicated fighters as opposition.

The biggest hurdle is not cowardice, but education - we need to give these men the basic understanding of what it means to be free and why that is worth fighting and dying for, even more so than for a cleric's fatwa, or for a tribal decree.

I read a story about one Iraqi unit that is fighting with us in Fallujah, and from appearances they looked to be useful fighters, dedicated and trustworthy.

It's a hell of a task, and we need to resolve ourselves to the fact that it will take time to build an army capable of defending Iraq from its internal and external threats simultaneously.

[hatfieldmccoy]

Ho Hello Republican Guard- the NYT opposition of choice. Like somehow the part of country that watches a real news operation (ie Fox News) is surprised. This Iraqi military was seriously oversold. Clearly it was French training.

[MJY1288]

"This con game reminds me of Vietnam"

Hackworth's problem is that everything reminds him of Vietnam. As I recall, he said the same thing when we were just 2 weeks into Afghanistan.

I think Hack needs to up his Med's

[DB]

What outside armies does the Iraqi army have to defend itself from?

It isn't like any of their neighbors are going to invade anytime soon.

With Vietnam there were the Chinese and Soviets supplying the attackers.

Here, Iraq is essentially a protectorate under our protection that no country wants to openly challenge.

The comparison to Vietnam remains bogus.

[Smokin' Joe]

The US left Vietnam due to politics, not military losses. Were the ARVNs ready? Doesen't look that way. The US military got blamed for losing the war, when in reality, they did not.

The political types who handed the war off to the second string too soon lost it. The media who applied the pressure, the protesters in the streets, the Jane Fondas and John Kerrys and every person who contributed to the domestic loss of resolve all contributed to that loss, as did anyone who, wittingly or otherwise gave aid and comfort to the enemy.

So why let (help?) history repeat itself?

Hack has a point, not one of defeatism or Iraq equals Vietnam, just a warning not to make a fundamental mistake under the same type of political pressure, from, oddly enough, many of the same people.

[Deadeye Division]

bttt

[TexasCajun]

Johnny "Hackworthless" Cash has had his 15 minutes of fame!

I can't stand the guy!