After Mosul Iraq's Special Forces Are Struggling To Regroup

Iraqi special operations forces advance during a field training exercise in Baghdad in May. (Sgt. Mitchell Ryan/U.S. Army)

Washington Post: Iraq’s elite special forces struggle to regroup after bloody fight for Mosul

When the Iraqi government launched an online recruitment drive for its elite counterterrorism forces in May, a startling 300,000 men applied. Of those, 3,000 passed a preliminary screening. Only about 1,000 are expected to be accepted into the rigorous joint American-Iraqi training academy, an American military trainer said.

The staggering response points to the popularity of the “Golden Division” following its high-profile role in wresting back territory from the Islamic State. But the rigorous selection process highlights the challenge of rebuilding a force that the United States says lost 40 percent of its human and military resources in the nine-month battle for the city of Mosul.

The counterterrorism forces, numbering only about 10,000, are the undisputed cream of Iraq’s armed forces, but powerful Iran-backed majority Shiite militias are also among the most trusted fighters in the nation. Both are remembered as the forces that stemmed the Islamic State’s march on Iraq in 2014 — as traditional army and police divisions collapsed — and later led the expulsion of the extremist group from its major territorial holdings.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: When you lose 40% of your division .... it is going to take time to recover. But the remarkable story is that 300,000 Iraqis applied to replace those who had fallen even knowing that only 1,000 would make the final cut.

Iraq's Government Has Passed A Law Legalising Iranian-Backed Shia Militias

Aljazeera: Iraq's parliament passes law legalising Shia militias

Iraqi Sunnis say law was proof of Shia "dictatorship" but Prime Minister Abadi says force will defend "all Iraqis".

The Iraqi parliament has passed a bill recognising the Shia militia fighters, the Popular Mobilisation Forces, as a government entity operating alongside the military.

The bill passed on Saturday will see the establishment of the Popular Mobilisation Forces Commission, which critics said could only widen sectarian divisions in the war-torn country.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi welcomed the legislation, which was supported by 208 of the parliament's 327 members, saying the newly-formed force "will represent and defend all Iraqis, wherever they are."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: These Iranian backed militias are now on the government payroll .... and I will not be surprised if it becomes a permanent measure.

Update: Yup .... Once they have defeated IS, Iraqi militias will not go away (Middle East Eye)

More News On Iraq's Government Passing A Law That Gives Legal Status To Iranian-Backed Shia Militias

Iraq's parliament votes to give legal status to Shiite militias -- DW
Iraq's Parliament Adopts Law Legalizing Shiite Militias -- AP
Iraq gives militias official status despite abuse claims -- Washington Post
Iraqi parliament recognizes Shiite Hashd as official force with army privileges -- RUDAW
Iraq parliament passes law legalising PMF Shia militias -- Middle East Monitor
Iraqi forces grind on in east Mosul as political rift opens over Shi'ite militias -- Reuters
Sunni concerns grow over Iraq's recognition of Shiite paramilitary group -- RUDAW
Iraq’s Sunni Lawmakers to Challenge Legal Recognition of Shiite Militias -- WSJ
Shia militia law adds to the challenges in Iraq -- Hassan Hassan, The National
Iraq’s militias enter the army -- National Editorial

Has The U.S. Failed In Training The Iraq And Afghan Armies?

The U.S. hopes to double the size of the Afghan national army within the next two years. Above, Afghan recruits shortly before graduation from the Kabul Military Training Center. Yochi Dreazen/The Wall Street Journal

Washington Times: Iraq, Afghanistan forces struggling despite years of U.S. investment, training

Battlefield reverses in Iraq and the stepped-up tempo of terrorist strikes in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital in recent days are raising fresh questions about whether U.S. efforts to stand up and train both countries’ armed forces will ever pay off militarily.

Military experts say the Islamic State’s ability to drive Iraqi Security Forces out of Ramadi shows that Iraqis are not yet effective enough to defend their own country, despite billions of dollars spent by U.S. taxpayers to prepare them for the task.

WNU Editor: In view of what is now happening .... there is no question in my mind that the U.S. has failed in their training programs for the Iraq and Afghan miltiary. Spending billions of dollars and allocating hundreds (if not thousands) of trainers to train and equip a military that is in a country with a long history (and culture) of corruption, sectarianism/tribalism, and a professional military infrastructure that is all but non-existent will .... to put it bluntly .... not work .... unless one is ready to spend years (if not decades) and tens of billions of dollars to do so. Since no country is willing to make such a commitment .... a different strategy is definitely needed. On a personal note .... I have never been confident that nation-building (with short term objectives in mind) is a workable policy for a country like the U.S. .... I can now say the same about building up a professional military from scratch in a "Third World" nation.

US Military Official Repeatedly Warned Iraq That Their Troops Were Committing Atrocities

ABC News: Top US Military Official Repeatedly Warned Iraq About Troops’ Conduct

America’s top military official, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, repeatedly warned Iraqi leaders about the conduct of both the Iraqi military and the militias that fight alongside them, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.

The Iraqi government says it has launched an investigation into alleged atrocities committed by Iraqi troops and Shia militias, some captured in a trove of images and footage found online, as revealed in an ABC News investigation Wednesday. Today State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the images amounted to “disturbing and serious allegations.”

WNU Editor: If the Iraqi Army is behaving this way .... one can only imagine how the Shiite militias are behaving. I must also wonder if U.S. advisers (or any other Western adviser) were present when this was happening.

More News On Iraq's Army Being Implicated In Committing War Crimes

'Dirty Brigades': US-Trained Iraqi Forces Investigated for War Crimes -- ABC News
US-Backed Iraqi Forces Face War Crimes Investigation After ABC Finds Gruesome Online Posts -- IBTimes
US-Trained Iraqi Forces Under Investigation for War Crime -- Sputnik
US-trained Iraqi units facing investigation over alleged ISIS-like atrocities -- FOX News
Reported atrocities by Iraqi forces could risk aid under U.S. law -- Reuters
Did American-Trained Iraqi Troops Commit War Crimes? -- Lucy Westcott, Newsweek

Iraq's Army Is Becoming More Dependent On Militias And Iran In Its War Against The Islamic State

A tank of Iraqi security forces is seen in the town of al-Alam March 10, 2015. Iraqi troops and militias drove Islamic State insurgents out of al-Alam on Tuesday, clearing a final hurdle before a planned assault on Saddam Hussein's home city of Tikrit in their biggest offensive yet against the ultra-radical group. Credit: Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani

Tim Lister, CNN: Battle for Tikrit: Despite billions in aid, Iraqi army relies on militia, and Iran

(CNN)The campaign to retake the city of Tikrit from ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, involves a curious mixture of Iraqi forces -- the army and air force, federal police, powerful Shia militia as well as Sunni tribal fighters.

It's a cast of about 30,000 fighters with an opaque command structure. And that makes it tough to be precise about numbers -- but by several estimates only one-third of those fighters are from the regular army.

WNU Editor: A sobering assessment on the Iraqi army. Read it all.

A Grim Assessment On The Iraqi Army's Ability To Defeat The Islamic State

Members of Iraqi security forces and Shiite militia fighters make their way from Samarra to the outskirts of Tikrit, north of Baghdad, on February 28. Stringer/Reuters

Jonathan Broder, Newsweek: A Bloody Disaster: The Iraqi Army’s Fight Against ISIS

Take it from a man who knows: The Iraqi army’s first big attempt to roll back the Islamic State is going to be a violent mess.

Several months after thousands of American advisers showed up for training sessions, Iraqi troops still aren't ready for combat. Iranian-backed Shiite militias will do most of the fighting against the Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Tikrit and other largely Sunni towns and cities in Iraq, raising the chances of more sectarian slaughter. And even if the militias do manage to drive out ISIS, Baghdad doesn't have a viable plan to rebuild what’s likely to be a region reduced to rubble.

That's the grim assessment of a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, James Dubik, who oversaw the training of Iraqi soldiers in the final months of the eight-year U.S. occupation. Those troops fled when ISIS showed up last summer, stripping off their uniforms and abandoning millions of dollars' worth of American weapons.

WNU Editor: A grim assessment .... but the battle for Tikrit is underway right now, and the next few weeks will tell us if this assessment is right .... or wrong.

Iraq's Army Now Numbers Only 48,000 Men. Iraq's Pro-Iranian Shiite Militias Number Between 100,000 To 120,000 men

Washington Post: Iraq's pro-Iranian Shiite militias Are Leading The Groundwar Against The Islamic State.

MANSOURIYA, Iraq — Shiite militias backed by Iran are increasingly taking the lead in Iraq’s fight against the Islamic State, threatening to undermine U.S. strategies intended to bolster the central government, rebuild the Iraqi army and promote reconciliation with the country’s embittered Sunni minority.

With an estimated 100,000 to 120,000 armed men, the militias are rapidly eclipsing the depleted and demoralized Iraqi army, whose fighting strength has dwindled to about 48,000 troops since the government forces were routed in the northern city of Mosul last summer, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials.

WNU Editor: This is the first time that I am seeing these numbers published in a western news organization .... the Iranian backed Iraqi-militias have 100,000 to 120,000 men and the Iraqi army has dwindled to about 48,000. If these numbers are true .... this tells me that the Iraqi military has all but collapsed, and they will not be able to launch an attack (and consolidate ground) should they decide to go on the offensive. And while I do know that these Iranian militias are made up mostly of volunteers who are only equipped with minimal weapons and training .... it indicates a trend of where Iraq is going, and more importantly the role that Iran is playing. On a side note .... you have to wonder why is Iraq's Prime Minister Haider feeling so optimistic .... Iraq preparing to retake Mosul from Islamic State - PM (BBC) .... or more to the point .... why is the U.S. so optimistic?

The above video gives more details on Iran's support for these Shiite militias in iraq.

Iraq's Ghost Soldiers Continue To Exist

Not Fighting ISIS: How Iraq's 50,000 'Ghost Soldiers' Run Their Scam -- NBC

As a paid member of the Iraqi army, Mazin should be helping his country fight ISIS. Instead, the father-of-three is battling traffic as a taxi driver in Baghdad.

Mazin is one of the 50,000 "ghost soldiers" who pay a portion of their monthly military salary to superior officers in exchange for not having to turn up for duty. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has vowed to put an end to the scam — which has weakened his U.S.-trained army in the face of an ISIS insurgency.

"The reason behind doing this is that I have a family I need to take care of and two kids in school," Mazin, 38, told NBC News. "Besides, I have to pay for rent and other expenses. I found that this is the only way to earn more money, besides securing my future when I retire."

Read more ....

Previous Posts

You Can Command An Iraqi Division For Only $2 Million
Iraq's Military Has Tens Of Thousands Of 'Ghost Soldier
How Corruption In Iraq Is Crippling The War Against The Islamic State

My Comment: The culture of corruption has always been endemic in Iraq .... I wish them luck in trying to stamp it out.

You Can Command An Iraqi Division For Only $2 Million

Members of Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters eat on their vehicle on the outskirts of Baiji, north of Baghdad, Dec. 8, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad

Ghost Army: You, Too, Can Command An Iraqi Division For Only $2 Million -- Peter Van Buren, Reuters

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi recently revealed that there are 50,000 “ghost soldiers” who haunt the payrolls of the Iraqi Army. Many see the phenomenon as a factor in the army’s defeat at the hands of the Islamic State, and as an example of how Prime Minister Abadi is trying to initiate reform.

How corruption like this is handled will tell the tale of the army’s future, and of the U.S.’ investment.

The current Iraqi Army is a U.S. construct. The second official act of the U.S. occupation in Iraq was to disband Saddam-era forces and create a new Iraqi Army. This would ultimately cost U.S. taxpayers over $20 billion dollars.

What did they get for their money?

Read more ....

My Comment: What bugs me about this story is that it was being done in the open .... and U.S. military/intelligence officials had to know what was going on, as well as their political bosses in Washington. But for reasons not explained .... choose to remain silent.

Iraq's Military Has Tens Of Thousands Of 'Ghost Soldiers'

Reuters / Stringer

Iraq Says It Found 50,000 'Ghost Soldiers' On Payroll -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Iraq's new government has discovered 50,000 "ghost soldiers" who received army salaries without showing up for work, a practice which accelerated the military's collapse in the face of Islamic State fighters six months ago.

The names were uncovered in an investigation launched by Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, who took office in September, his spokesman Rafid Jaburi said.

"Ghost soldiers" were men on the army payroll who paid their officers a portion of their salaries and in return did not show up for duty, enriching their commanders and hollowing out the military force.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That Iraq Has 50,000 'Ghost Soldiers' On It's Payroll

Iraq uncovers 50,000 'ghost soldiers' -- Al Jazeera
Iraq's army weakened from within by 50,000 'ghost' soldiers -- CNN
Investigation finds 50,000 "ghost" soldiers in Iraqi army -- Pilot Online/Washington Post
Iraqi army 'had 50,000 ghost troops' on payroll -- BBC
Iraqi PM: Military Has 50,000 'Ghost Soldiers' -- VOA
Iraqi PM: Baghdad govt. paying salaries of 50,000 non-existent Iraqi soldiers -- UPI
Iraq Says It Found 50,000 'Ghost Soldiers' on Payroll -- NBC
Prime Minister says Iraqi army has 50,000 'ghost soldiers' on payroll -- FOX News
Iraq PM reveals 50,000 ‘ghost soldiers’ on country’s payroll -- Washington Times
Iraq: Probe unearths 50,000 'ghost soldiers' in army -- IBTimes
Iraq graft probe exposes 50,000 ‘ghost troops’ crowding army payroll -- RT
Iraqi PM’s Graft Probe Finds 50,000 ‘Ghost Soldiers’ -- Sputnik
Iraqi premier sacks 24 interior ministry officials -- AP

My Comment: Only 50,000 ????

White House Wants NATO To Help In The Retraining Of The Iraqi Military

Iraqi soldiers take part in a shooting training course supervised by the U.S. army at a military base in Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad, February 19, 2011. Picture taken February 19, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Atef Hassan

Exclusive: Washington Wants NATO To Help Retrain The Iraqi Military -- Gopal Ratnam, Foreign Policy

With the Islamic State pulling ever closer to Baghdad, the Obama administration believes rebuilding the shattered Iraqi military could require up to 1,000 foreign trainers from the United States and its top European allies.

The difficult and dangerous task of retraining Iraqi security forces to take on the Islamic State militants who've made impressive gains in the north and west of Iraq will require large numbers of trainers from the United States and NATO nations, according to a person familiar with joint assessments by the American-led coalition and the Iraqi government.

The expanded retraining effort being proposed by the United States may require as many as 1,000 foreign trainers from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Australia to restore the beleaguered Iraqi security forces to a battle-ready state led by American advisors, said the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because no decisions have been made. The United States already has about 1,500 advisors in the country, and Western European allies have signaled their ability to send hundreds of trainers each, the person said.

Read more ....

My Comment: Islamic State forces are already at the gates of Baghdad .... this is too little .... and far too late.

More Details On The State Of Iraq's Military Are Becoming Known

Iraqi Army Remains On Defensive As Extent of June Debacle Becomes Clearer -- Stars and Stripes/McClatchy News

IRBIL, Iraq — Five weeks after Islamist fighters stormed across northern and western Iraq in a surprise offensive that nearly reached the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, virtually every captured location remains firmly in rebel hands, while the central government’s meager efforts at a counteroffensive have met with failure on virtually every front.

Worse yet, Iraqi and U.S. officials have confirmed that fighters allied with the Islamic State not only captured hundreds of U.S.-supplied Humvees and large amounts of ammunition in their march across Iraq, but they also now possess as many as 52 U.S.-supplied artillery pieces with GPS aiming systems. The 155mm guns have a range of 20 miles, putting many Iraqi cities still in government hands easily within range of Islamic State positions.

Read more ....

Update: Iraq Assessment Team Reports Arrive in Pentagon -- US Department of Defense

My Comment: The above Stars and Stripes/McClatchy report is a must read. Bottom line .... it gives credence to previous reports that the Iraqi army is now functioning at only a fraction of it's former self. What is even more worrisome is that the military and it's Shiite volunteers/militias are suffering from supply and logistic problems. They have the soldiers and volunteers .... but not the weapons, ammunition, or food and water to keep up the fight. With such shortages .... armies never last.

Pentagon Report Paints A 'Gloomy Picture' Of The Iraqi Army And Strongly Advises Against Sending U.S. Advisers

Shi'ite volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against militants. US advisers in Iraq risk assassination by troops they are trying to train, according to a classified report

US Advisers In Iraq Risk Assassination By Troops They Are Trying To Train, Claims Classified Report -- Daily Mail

* Many units are deeply infiltrated by Sunni informants or Shiite personnel
* The threat are the extremists backed by Iran, according to US officials
* Up to 300 special operations forces to deployed in the country

US advisers in Iraq risk assassination by troops they are trying to train, according to a classified report.

Americans who are assigned to advise Baghdad’s forces could be at risk because so many units are deeply infiltrated by either Sunni extremist informants or Shiite personnel backed by Iran, the report by United States detailed.

If the US does decide to assist in moving back the the advances made by Sunni militants in northern and western Iraq over the past month, the assessment concludes that only about half of Iraq’s operational units are able to carry out the push.

Read more ....

More News On The Pentagon Report That Paints A 'Gloomy Picture' Of The Iraqi Army

U.S. Sees Risks in Assisting a Compromised Iraqi Force -- New York Times
Military assessment says Iraqi units infiltrated by ISIS, Iran-backed militiamen, report claims -- FOX News
Pentagon report warns of security risks for US advisers in Iraq -- The Hill
Military Concludes That the United States Is Between a Rock and a Hard Place in Iraq -- Ben Mathis-Lilley, The Slate
Should the U.S. Send Military Advisers to Iraq? -- US News and World Report

My Comment: In short .... if the above reports of this still secret Pentagon report are true .... the Iraqi army has become a military force that is divided along sectarian lines and will target U.S. advisers who are sent there because of who they are (i.e. American soldiers).

Why Did Iraq's 2nd Division Collapse Overnight (An Analysis)

The Iraqi army has been driving around Baghdad, with its swollen ranks of volunteers. Credit: Reuters

Inside The Collapse Of The Iraqi Army’s 2nd Division -- Yasir Abbas and Dan Trombly, War On The Rocks

Recent advances by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (which recently renamed itself the Islamic State) in Mosul and Tikrit captured the attention of many analysts, many of whom were surprised at the stunningly weak performance of the Iraqi Security Forces. But those forces did not collapse overnight: they had been failing for over a year before they finally crumbled on June 10th. There is no doubt that ISIL has grown militarily in the past four years, but that was not the sole cause of their recent gains. In areas such as Fallujah, it took extended guerrilla operations and urban warfare to keep out government forces, but in Mosul, Tikrit and other recent ISIL offensives, retreat was voluntary and disorganized rather than forced by heavy fighting. Based on interviews with a variety of active and former Iraqi soldiers, along with civilians living in their area of operations, and supplemented with open-source research, we identified a number of institutional and political challenges that left the 2nd Division of the Iraqi army vulnerable to the sudden collapse it experienced in early June. Corruption, neglect, and a shortfall of combat-effective resources and personnel crippled the Iraqi military’s capability and widened ISIL’s range of strategic options in Nineveh province. Many problems the 2nd Division faced are widespread within ISF and likely to complicate its counterinsurgency effort.

Read more ....

My Comment: The short answer on why the 2nd division collapsed .... corruption and neglect. This analysis is a must read on how NOT to raise and deploy an army.

Iraq Cannot Defend Itsel Until 2020 According To Iraqi Armed Forces Chief Of Staff

U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commanding general, U.S. Forces, Iraq, bid farewell to Gen. Babaker Zibari, Iraqi Armed Forces chief of staff, in Baghdad, July 27, 2010. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Iraq Won't Be Ready To Defend Itself Until 2020, Iraqi Official Says As US Withdrawal Date Nears -- New York Daily News

An Iraqi Army official admitted Wednesday that his military needs 10 more years before it is ready to defend the country by itself.

U.S. politicians must "fill the void," once American armed forces fully withdraw at the end of next year, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Babaker Zebari told Agence France-Presse.

"The army will be fully ready in 2020," he said.

His comments contradict the U.S.'s top commander in Iraq.

Read more ....

More News On The Iraq Army

Iraq 'needs US military support until 2020' -- AFP
Iraq army will not be ready to take control until 2020 -- The Telegraph
Iraq needs help defending its borders after U.S. troops leave in 2011 -- L.A. times
Iraq reconstruction 'hindered by shortfall in US funds' -- The Telegraph
State Dept. faces skyrocketing costs as it prepares to expand role in Iraq -- Washington Post
State Dept.: Can't pay for new Iraq role -- UPI
U.S. and Iraqi Interests May Work Against Pullout -- New York Times

American Weapons, Clothes, And Hummers With An Iraqi Touch

The Iraqi Touch -- The Strategy Page

September 8, 2008: You won't have much trouble telling American and Iraqi hummers apart. Over the last few years, thousands of humvees and other American military vehicles to the Iraqi army and police. It was thought that some of the vehicles would fall into the hands of terrorists, and be used in attacks on American troops. Well, this hasn't happened much at all. This is partly because the Iraqis tend to treat their military vehicles like they do their civilian ones. That means all manner of decorations. Fur trim, sheep skin, the fuzzy dice, whatever near the drivers seat. On the outside, they like to apply stickers all over, as well as putting stuffed animals on the front of the vehicle or next to weapons. They don't try to repaint, but you can tell an Iraqi from an American hummer at a distance.

The same pattern applies to the combat uniforms. The Iraqis wear a similar camouflage pattern uniform, helmet and protective vest. Iraqis carry M-16s and other U.S. weapons. But they don't wear this gear the same way. Some will not be wearing their helmets, others will have their protective vest open, or partly so. The Iraqi troops will, even at a distance, look a lot more "casual." They carry their weapons in a more relaxed fashion and, in general, appear less menacing that U.S. troops do.

The best trained Iraqi troops do dress and move much more like American troops. That's because in this case, appearance and capability do tend to go together.

Rebuilding The Iraqi Army

Vehicles For the Iraq Army

How Fast Should Iraq Re-Arm? -- Time Magazine

The disconnect on security between the U.S. and the government of Iraq crystallized Friday, as Washington made clear it is in no rush to pull troops out of Iraq, just as Baghdad made it clear it's shopping for 36 F-16 jet fighters that could end up costing the war-weary nation close to $4 billion. While it's easy to understand why the U.S. is leery of jeopardizing recent security gains with a hasty troop withdrawal — despite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insisting on a timetable for ending the American military presence — the logic of Baghdad's effort to acquire a fleet of sophisticated warplanes is less clear.

Still, U.S. officials inside and out of the Pentagon were quick to say Iraq needs such high-powered weapons, and that the U.S. defense industry would be more than glad to supply them. "We sometimes roll our eyes when foreign defense ministers come here and want to buy fighters and things like that," a senior Pentagon official said, speaking privately. "But we don't feel that way about Iraq — given their history and neighborhood, they need to have a capable air force." Iraq has not committed to buying the warplanes and, if it does, it will be several years before they would be operational. But the move to acquire them certainly signals an intent to give Iraq the ability to defend itself without any direct U.S. presence.

Read more ....

My Comment: If I was an Iraqi who had to experience the history of Iraq for the past 50 years, I would be prepared and determined to spend tens of billions (if not more) to not only have the best military in the Middle East, but a military trained by the best (i.e. American and British), armed by the best (American weaponry), and having alliances with Nato and stable Middle East nations. I would never want to go through the garbage of Saddam Hussein, Al Qaeda, threats from Iran, and extremist militias ever again.

Iraq is sitting on oil that is worth trillions of dollars. The people of Iraq will want to protect that treasure, and they want to work with their friends and allies. They know that a commitment to a strong military will make them be treated as equals by the U.S., and respected by their neighbors.

Is Iraq re-arming quick enough .... in my view no. If I was an Iraqi citizen, it will be my view that they can never re-arm quick enough.

The Iraqi Army Is Growing

The Americans say they have been speeding up deliveries of equipment to the Iraqi army,
but the Iraqi military is still a long way from being able to secure the country on its own.

Iraqi Forces Starting To Lead But Need US Aid -- FOX News

BAQOUBA, Iraq — The Iraqi battalion leader huddled over the map with his American advisers, showing them how he planned to surround a Sunni enclave where al-Qaida militants were believed hiding.

The Americans nodded in approval and assured Col. Faisal Malik Mohsen the roads would be cleared of bombs. U.S. attack helicopters would provide cover to keep insurgents from escaping.

The raid last week northeast of Baghdad did not find many weapons or flush out scores of hidden fighters. But it accomplished a wider objective: taking another step toward putting Iraqi security forces in control of ground operations.

Such transitions to Iraqi command _ occurring at different speeds around the country _ have taken on added importance as Washington and Baghdad negotiate a pact that could have the last U.S. soldiers leaving by the end of 2011.

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My Comment: The Iraqi Air Force will take even longer to be trained in taking over the roles of the U.S. Air Force. One should not be surprised that even with U.S. combat troops out of the country by 2011, tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers will still be in Iraq for years to come.

Iraqi Troops Say Army Is Willing, But Not Ready, To Fight Alone

“Believe me,” said Col. Ali Mahmoud, center, checking a map with his troops in
Diyala Province. “There will be a big disaster” when American forces leave.

From The New York Times:

KHAN BANI SAAD, Iraq — Ahmed Mahmoud, a lieutenant in the Iraqi Army, lost one leg fighting the insurgency and says he would not quit his job even if he lost the other. He believes in his army.

But asked whether that army is ready as a national defense force, capable of protecting Iraq’s borders without American support, Lieutenant Mahmoud gestures toward his battalion’s parking lot. A fifth of the vehicles are rotting trucks and bomb-demolished Humvees that, for some complicated bureaucratic reason, are still considered operational.

“In your opinion,” Lieutenant Mahmoud says, “do you think I could fight an army with those trucks?”

Read more ....

My Comment: It will take a decade before the Iraq Army becomes a viable force. But when it is .... watch out.