Tuesday, September 13, 2005
FOSTERING COMPETENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM
Reuters:
What Tigerhawk rightfully noted as Reuters' "practicing what it calls journalism" -- "...Iraq closed its border with Syria on Sunday to stop what it calls foreign fighters entering the country..." -- notwithstanding, what do these Reuters photos of Iraqi forces actually demonstrate?:
Iraqi soldiers man an observation post in the northern Iraq town of Tal Afar September 11, 2005. Iraq closed its border with Syria on Sunday to stop what it calls foreign fighters entering the country, as a U.S.-backed military operation to wipe out suspected insurgents in the city of Tal Afar continued. Picture taken September 11, 2005. REUTERS/Namir Noor-Eldeen
A convoy of Iraqi troops prepares to join a military offensive in the northern Iraq city of Tal Afar, September 10, 2005. Thousands of Iraqi and U.S. troops launched an assault on the northern city of Tal Afar on Saturday to rid it of insurgents and Iraq's government said it planned attacks on rebels in four other towns. Picture taken September 10, 2005. REUTERS/Namir Noor-Eldeen
It's of course not quite the same as the summer of 1944, when the French 2nd Armored Division was equipped with American Sherman tanks and uniforms different from those of the French army of 1940. Those soldiers found as they recaptured French towns that townspeople sometimes thought on first glance that they were encountering Americans -- and when they discovered their error were stunned and heartened to find that in the four years since the defeat the French army that was returning was a far different (and better) creature than that of 1940. Equipment aside, the French (and Spanish and others) who made up the unit that entered Paris were often veteran soldiers.
So we don't know yet if it will work, but such photos show that the international coalition is not trying merely to throw guns into any old hands, but rather similarly aims to create a disciplined, independent, well-trained Iraqi national army capable of defending a democratic government. It's a huge, complicated undertaking. For aside from the military of the state of Israel, no such professional force exists anywhere else in the entire Middle East.
On a related note, Midnight Blue wins yesterday's "observation of the day":
Reuters:
The Iraqi army has killed up to 200 insurgents in Tal Afar, military officials said on Monday, as troops continued mopping up suspects in the northern town...
...The Iraqi army, backed up by U.S. troops, launched an assault early on Saturday against an estimated 350-500 insurgents in the town near the Syrian border.
Iraq's Third Army Brigade launched a fresh offensive on Monday, killing 40 insurgents and arresting 21 "terrorist emirs," or senior insurgent leaders, the brigade's media officer said, in an operation ending at around 5.15 p.m. (1315 GMT)...
...The Iraqi army, backed up by U.S. troops, launched an assault early on Saturday against an estimated 350-500 insurgents in the town near the Syrian border.
Iraq's Third Army Brigade launched a fresh offensive on Monday, killing 40 insurgents and arresting 21 "terrorist emirs," or senior insurgent leaders, the brigade's media officer said, in an operation ending at around 5.15 p.m. (1315 GMT)...
What Tigerhawk rightfully noted as Reuters' "practicing what it calls journalism" -- "...Iraq closed its border with Syria on Sunday to stop what it calls foreign fighters entering the country..." -- notwithstanding, what do these Reuters photos of Iraqi forces actually demonstrate?:
Iraqi soldiers man an observation post in the northern Iraq town of Tal Afar September 11, 2005. Iraq closed its border with Syria on Sunday to stop what it calls foreign fighters entering the country, as a U.S.-backed military operation to wipe out suspected insurgents in the city of Tal Afar continued. Picture taken September 11, 2005. REUTERS/Namir Noor-Eldeen
A convoy of Iraqi troops prepares to join a military offensive in the northern Iraq city of Tal Afar, September 10, 2005. Thousands of Iraqi and U.S. troops launched an assault on the northern city of Tal Afar on Saturday to rid it of insurgents and Iraq's government said it planned attacks on rebels in four other towns. Picture taken September 10, 2005. REUTERS/Namir Noor-Eldeen
It's of course not quite the same as the summer of 1944, when the French 2nd Armored Division was equipped with American Sherman tanks and uniforms different from those of the French army of 1940. Those soldiers found as they recaptured French towns that townspeople sometimes thought on first glance that they were encountering Americans -- and when they discovered their error were stunned and heartened to find that in the four years since the defeat the French army that was returning was a far different (and better) creature than that of 1940. Equipment aside, the French (and Spanish and others) who made up the unit that entered Paris were often veteran soldiers.
So we don't know yet if it will work, but such photos show that the international coalition is not trying merely to throw guns into any old hands, but rather similarly aims to create a disciplined, independent, well-trained Iraqi national army capable of defending a democratic government. It's a huge, complicated undertaking. For aside from the military of the state of Israel, no such professional force exists anywhere else in the entire Middle East.
On a related note, Midnight Blue wins yesterday's "observation of the day":
...Considering the death toll of al-queda terrorists is reaching 50,000 this year alone, it is safe to call Iraq and Afghanistan al-queda's Vietnam...
¶ by Robert, Tuesday, September 13, 2005
