[jolie560]

..."...The weak pole in the tent right now is the local police,"...

..the biggest, most important pole.

[Sam the Sham]

It's their country. They will have to learn on the job.

[frog_jerk_2004]

The top American commander in Iraq on Wednesday said U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces were still not ready to take over the counterinsurgency and there was no guarantee they will ever be able to defeat it on their own.

Well, we'll find out if he is correct...

[Check_Your_Premises]

I have to read through the whole thing to get to the best part

"He said 15,000 have been captured or killed over the past year. "

[bk1000]

Don't train them too much. We may need to whup them again.

[Yasotay]

I guess my only question is why is an Infantry General leading this effort and not a Special Forces General?

[quant5]

I have a radical idea. How about we buy the Iraqi goverment a few millions dollars worth of radio and tv station equipment over the next of 3 months. Then, we begin withdrawing our troops whether they are ready or not.

Afterwards, the Iraqi goverment goes on air 24/7 and recruits their local populace to turn in tips on the terrorists. Please do not tell me that groups of 1,000 half-trained Iraqi regulars with AK-47's cannot find and destroy groups of 50 half-trained terrorist with AK-47's. I see us being there after the elections as self-defeating, because that is part of the claim of the jihad terrorist that they have to kill the infidel and those who "help" the infidel. The populace needs to be broadcasted to day and night to realize their is no infidel, only a bunch of terrorists killing the Iraqi people for their own stupid causes.

Iraqi has the second largest oil reserves on the planet. That means the country and newly elected goverment can create massive wealth to create a well-equipped, volunteer army over time.

[varon]

"You can get into a debate about are they fully trained," Casey said. "Well, what do you mean by fully trained?

Well, one of the criteria would be how many do you trust or have confidence in to have issued weapons to?