Posted on 12/04/2004 5:23:22 PM PST by Happy2BMe
The top US commander in Iraq has expressed concern about the ability of Iraqi forces to cope with security in the run-up to elections next month.
The head of Central Command, General John Abizaid, said Iraqi troops did not have the training or experience to do the job without extra American help.
At least 14 people died in bomb attacks in Baghdad and Mosul on Saturday.
However, Gen Abizaid said border security had improved, with less infiltration by foreign insurgents.
Need for stability
Speaking at a regional conference on Gulf security in Bahrain, he called on Iraq's neighbours - in particular, Syria and Iran - to do more to curb the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq.
"It's very important for everybody to realise that the stability of Iraq is as dependent on its neighbours as it is on the people inside Iraq," he said.
"If the neighbours allow groups of people who are against the stability of Iraq to operate from their territory, then we have a very difficult situation," he added.
He said it was clear that former regime members had the money and motivation to help insurgents "and we have asked the Syrian government to put a stop to that".
But he said he was disappointed that the Iraqi army was still developing too slowly to cope with the security situation.
"It had been our hope that we would be able to have a combination of increases that mainly were Iraqi troops' increases," he said.
"And while the Iraqi troops are larger in number than they used to be, those forces have to be seasoned more, trained more. So, it's necessary to bring more American forces."
The Pentagon announced last week that the level of American forces would rise to 150,000 by mid-January - an increase of 12,000.
Two cars exploded at the entry of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone at around 0930 (0630GMT) on Saturday, killing seven people and wounding more than 50.
Later, a suicide bomber blew up his car beside a bus in the northern city of Mosul, carrying Kurdish militiamen linked to one of the two main Kurdish parties in the north.
Another five US soldiers were killed and 11 wounded in other incidents in Iraq on Saturday.
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"It's very important for everybody to realise that the stability of Iraq is as dependent on its neighbours as it is on the people inside Iraq," he said.
"If the neighbours allow groups of people who are against the stability of Iraq to operate from their territory, then we have a very difficult situation," he added.
We serve a big God. He's given us what we need to win.
Let's pray our leaders are more in tune with reality than the sheeple...
Amen.
Sure appears there are just so many Saddam loyalist and Sunni 's that to some degree feel threatend, that this is going to just go on and on. Until a freely elected and stable government is set up, a constitution created, sets of laws and the means to inforce the laws, we are going to have to stay there. And I don't think the administration really mislead anyone that bothered to really listen to what they have said from day one. That is paraphrased, "we will stay there as long as it takes and not one day longer".
Sure hope things can quite down after the elections take place. Especially if laws are put on the books that ban any foreign/local insurgent activities, and the price of insurgency is death.
Of course as I write that it appears to be rather stupid ah.
Those committing the brutal acts already realize they will eventually die. Tis no easy solution.
Interesting to me is the fact that despite whatever people may complain about earlier on, that we did not have enough troops from the beginning, wouldn't we still be in the same boat now? I think the answer is yes. We could have had an additional 100,000 troops from day one, and the results would be about the same thing as at present. Unless we had totally annihilated most of the cities and towns within the Sunni Triangle, points north and south of Baghdad that have had occasional insurections of sort etc..
It is just going to take time.
(Gut feeling?)
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Speaking at a regional conference on Gulf security in Bahrain, he called on Iraq's neighbours - in particular, Syria and Iran - to do more to curb the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq."It's very important for everybody to realise that the stability of Iraq is as dependent on its neighbours as it is on the people inside Iraq," he said.
Oh, I'm sure Syria and Iran will both do everything in their power to stop the flow of terrorists into Iraq.
:^O
bump to my last post! ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
"How long do you think we will be rotating our troops throught Iraq?"
You flatter this "arm chair general". I don't know. I have no better resources to follow up on then most of us. But if you want a gut feeling.
If indeed the elections are a success in uniting the country.
That is, most of the influencial political parties buy into the concept that "ok lets give in and work together for a better and stablized Iraq for all of our sakes, yea we'll forget our differences from a tribal standpoint and religous sect standpoint"..........and we the coalition can continue to somehow build up a very effective and loyal Army and Police force for them, where they actually can take over in all the provinces to keep civil obiedience, quickly control small insurections, and we get their infrastructure rebuilt to a point where other countries will take a chance at investing in them for further rebuilding, and they, during the next few years actually improve on their form of government (lets say refine it as required to become more effective and better serve the country), and probably a few dozen other equally important caveats not mentioned......
perhaps two or three years. With a reduction in US forces each year as their Army and security forces continue to grow in size, effeciency, and the will to protect Iraq as one nation. And lets say we eliminate most of the foreigners and bulk of locals that continue to resist in within the next year or so. Perhaps we can reduce our troop levels much quicker.
Perhaps this estimate is not to un-realistic.
Let me interject the following thought for what ever it may be worth. If things truly where that bad as the MSM makes it sound. Would we not have already asked for many more troops? All we see is on average a few car bombings, and occasional road side explosions due to planted IED's on some main roads in the whole country per week! Each week we hear the horrow story of mostly "new" police getting killed by surprise attacks, in about ten different cities at most.
Please I am not cruel, live is very preciouse, but stop to think about how many coalition forces have died in two years in Iraq. Then think of how many more people have been stabbed and gunned down in LA in one year. More in LA in one year verse two in Iraq during a war and the aftermath of SASO (security and stabilization operations).
Fallujah was subdued in less then two weeks. Perhaps two thousand insurgents lost their lives within days. We continue to remove insurgents throught out Sunni Triangle and Triangle of Death, on a daily bases. The weapon caches continue to be found and destroyed, the IED building continues to be removed. I an election goes through as scheduled. The all foreign terrorist/insurgents are no longer legal in Iraq. They by world opinion will then be considered wrong in what they do. Not welcome in other words. M. Zarqawi has said all along, once Iraq has free elections the game is over. So if all foreigners leave or cease to cause any more trouble, then who is left to cause trouble? Saddam loyalist. Remember this assumes the majority of Sunnis will go along with things as they fall into place.
So that is my gut feeling on the situation.
LOL!
DAMN, THAT'S GOOOOD...
haha! Thanks. :^)
I hate to be spoiler but the problem is complicated.
Chop it down to readable length.
"I tried to read your post but fell asleep.
Chop it down to readable length."
Sorry about that. But after seeing MeekOneGOP's spendid pictures I would think you would have been quite perked up!
They truly are great. But I'll try to meet your wish.
Two to three years.
Hey...that is good...what do we do with the Iranians that support the U.S.? I hate to be spoiler but the problem is complicated.Thanks. :^D
No, you're not a 'spoiler'. The revolutionary forces in Iran we would support. Iranians long for freedom. We would be helping them out, to install a democratic form of government there.
Sounds good to me...
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