Rebecca Collard, Time: Meet the Men Being Trained to Fight ISIS by the U.S.
WNU Editor: I do not feel optimistic that after a few months of U.S. training .... 4,000 Iraqi soldiers/police officers with minimum weapons will be able to retake a city of 2 million .... and in a city where a majority of its inhabitants are hostile to the Shiite dominated government in Baghdad. What I do see is a bloodbath .... and the probable destruction of Mosul. In the meantime .... the Islamic State continues its offensive .... ISIL launches fierce attacks across Iraq (Al Jazeera).
Update: This is a good post on how unprepared the Iraqi military/police is if they wish to retake Mosul .... Iraqi police at Nineveh Liberation Camp aim to help free Mosul but lack food and guns (Washington Post)
3 comments:
I would be wrong. I thought (predicted) they could do it by May.
They will only commit 4,000 troops?
Don't they have more? You can put to many people in the field due to logistics or other considerations.
The Iranians must have an obvious stake in not resolving the crisis. Their transformation of the Shia to look like Hezbollah is not complete. Also Sadr while somewhat created by them and definitely supported by them is probably not completely reliable.
There are other factions as well that the Iranians wish to mold or deprecate.
The Iranians have to have the manpower themselves unless they are needed at home to keep a lid on or sanctions & economic warfare hurt that badly.
Maybe there is someone weight of not wanting hand the Iraqi political scene the desired result (ISIS defeated) & then have them be ungrateful.
Raw or not, the Iraqis have enough troops (4,000 or not), but they have to be willing to bleed. If you are not willing to bleed you cannot maneuver when you come into contact, cannot suppress with return fire, cannot crack nuts.
People do not want to bleed for high living corrupt people.
Corruption has a price even if it is not paid immediately.
Maliki at least got fairly close to the sound of guns when he suppressed the Basra revolt. Got to give him that.
Re: The above picture. The Iraqi Army has proven over the last six months that it is already remarkably adept at running, especially free style. Maybe other training could be more useful such as stand and fight.
Thanks for the latest news
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