It is very good that those who did not wish to follow through with their orders decided to slip away instead. It gives those remaining more confidence. --- I'll bet it didn't bother the SwiftVets in 'Nam very much when BandAid John K decided to bug out leaving them to fight his battles. It is much better to know you can trust the guy next to you in a fight.
Raw video feeds are available at the Reuters Feedroom site. You can subscribe to get e-mail alerts. A very different news source. http://tv.reuters.com/ifr_main.jsp?st=1100009350828&rf=bm&mp=WMP&wmp=1&rm=0&cpf=true&fr=110904_090419_17d5d2ax1001b85804exw4bd&rdm=160854.47762249972
I do understand and sympathise with that...And YES, it is better that they slink off into the night BEFORE the fight.
I am simply disgusted that our guys have been giving it up for people who don't have the morale back-bone to fight for their own freedom.
( Now before anyone jumps on me, I understand that there are very brave Iraqi individuals, but they seem more the exception, rather than the rule)
Frankly, I am not sure that Democracy CAN happen in Iraq: the culture is sick, and will take at LEAST two generations to begin to get better.
In some things, the Romans had it right: move into a place and start colonizing, put up baths, libraries, build roads and bath-houses.
The Romans changed cultures, and that wasn't ALWAYS a bad thing, and in many instances a very GOOD thing.