Put to test, 300 Iraqi troops fled

[NeoConsSuck]

BAGHDAD — About 300 Iraqi soldiers abandoned their 750-man unit after being deployed to Samarra last month for a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation to retake the militant-controlled city, according to a British coalition official.

British Army Brig. Nigel Aylwin-Foster, deputy commander of the coalition office for training and organizing Iraq's armed forces, said the deserters were spooked by an attack on Sept. 19 about a week after they had been deployed. A car bombing killed a battalion officer and injured eight soldiers. About 100 deserted afterwards. By Sept. 24, even before the offensive kicked off in Samarra, 300 had left.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-10-20-iraqis-test_x.htm

[Journeyman]

1. Seems like old times again. . .

life (but too often death) with the ARVN.

[ogradda]

2. hell in a handbasket

iraq is just falling apart. what a miserable way to live. it must keep * up nites all that human misery.

[foo_bar]

5. he sleeps like a baby

but it reportedly gave Colin Powell insomnia.

[Javaman]

19. That's because....

Powell has a soul, a misguided, shill-like soul, but one never-the-less.

[izzie]

3. Well I can see their point. What would we do if this was going o n here?

Hard to take guns to your own people I would think. Even orders must be hard.I keep hearing these young men in the army in Iraq saying 'we just want to help them' and I can not help thinking that they must be to young to see how silly that sounds or is it me?

[Aidoneus]

4. Good

Most Iraqis joining these gangs do so because of the paycheck, not for the priviledge of donating their lives for Wall Street.

[Guaranteed]

6. Man, we just need to leave.

This is stupid.

Get out and let them come to some kind of equilibrium on their own.

[JPace]

7. Iraqi's lived under Saddam for so long that they were

socialized to cower in the face of threats. To challenge
the status quo meant sure death. That is not going to
change anytime soon.

[tabasco]

13. There's a hell of a lot of them not cowering.

1100 dead GIs and counting to disprove that theory. Those aren't foreign fighters blasting our troops every day.

[Endangered Specie]

8. Dieing for your country is one thing...

Dieing for a coroporation is quite another.

[JPace]

17. The vast majority of U.S. soldiers killed

were killed by covert attacks, bombs, car bombs,
snipers. Ways that put the attackers in a safe
non risky position.

[daleo]

20. You could say the same about U.S. forces

Most of the deaths caused by U.S. forces have been from the air, or various forms of overwhelming firepower on the ground. Which is not to say that U.S. forces haven't acted courageously, in the context of combat. I am sure they have.

It just makes no sense to impugn or underestimate the courage of your enemy.

[Minstrel Boy]

9. Rather than "fled," perhaps they didn't have the stomach to slaughter

their own people.

[realFedUp]

10. Maybe they can trade in their new arms for cash...

anyone else see a cycle here....

[jmcgowanjm]

11. OK, let's see, Aylwin-Foster, if the BlackWatch does better

#1-Samarra is not a success as the Resistance is
attacking overextended forces daily.
The 343rd's refusal of orders can be directly attributed
to overextended supply lines.

#2-
#3-Defence analyst Charles Pelling, a former major
with
the Royal Tank Regiment who served in Kosovo, said
the
convoy of an estimated 400 vehicles - including
50
Warrior armoured cars and 14 Challenger 2 tanks -
could
stretch for about 30 miles and would have to stop to
refuel
during a journey of between 24 and 36 hours.

Convoy's on the way now. Resistance is ready.

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1217392004

#4-"It doesn't materialise out of thin air," the
spokesman continued. "It has to be trucked forward to
the combat zone.
"Those convoys have to be protected. And everything moving
on wheels, tracks, rotor blades, or jet engines
needs maintenance and repair."
More than 20% of the personnel serving in the British
Army consists of infantry organised in 40 battalions of
between 550 and 600 men, giving a ratio of one-in-five trained
for close-quarters battle.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/26264-print.shtml

[jmcgowanjm]

12. Oh,and I forgot #2 in previous post

Black Hawk down, 14 US troops killed

Iraqi Resistance Fighters were successful yesterday in
downing a US Black Hawk during fierce fighting that occurred
in the area of “Duwailiba” to the south west of the Iraqi
capital.

The fighting began when the Resistance Fighters ambushed
a convoy consisting of 8 armored vehicles by detonating 3
IED’s destroying 1 Bradley vehicle and 1 Hummer.

A Black Hawk was called in to support the US troops,
whereupon it was later fired at and downed by the
Resistance Fighters using a “C5K”
missile.

In total the fighting lasted for 90 minutes during which 14
US troops were killed and 6 wounded.

The Iraqi Resistance suffered losses of 8 fighters (5 of
whom were killed by the heavy machine gun fire of the Black Hawk) and 3 injured.

http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDnews=47476

[al bupp]

21. How did you get the English translation?

Because, as far as I can tell, the link you posted contains only Arabic script.

[jmcgowanjm]

24. call me superstitious, but I don't want to say

but the info I posted usually shows up here:

http://www.jihadunspun.net/intheatre_internal.php?article=100177&list=/home.php&

DU likes links, so I gave one. Doesn't Google
have some kind odf translation page?

[Aristus]

14. After the war, I could make a fortune buying and re-selling Iraqi

National Guard rifles. Never been fired and only dropped once.

[Rose Siding]

15. Oct 9: U.S. says Iraqi troops stood tall in Samarra- "They didn't run"

"The good news is that the Iraqi forces are on their feet and getting better every day," said Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the operation. "Our work to train and equip Iraqi security forces is beginning to pay off in spades."

Few if any Western journalists saw Iraqi units in action in Samarra. With reliable, firsthand accounts of the Oct. 1 battle still to emerge, it's difficult to determine whether the U.S. assessment is overly optimistic or if Samarra was indeed a milestone.

"They didn't run. They did fight. That's a contrast to a few months ago. It's a first step," says James Dobbins, a military analyst with the U.S.-based RAND Corp., noting that belated U.S. moves to build a strong Iraqi military are gaining momentum.

MORE.........

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-18/109730225793280.xml

[LibDemAlways]

16. Imagine if the U.S. was invaded and occupied.

The occupiers then tried to train U.S. citizens to kill other U.S. citizens. How many would sign up and fight? Why should this be any more acceptable in Iraq?

[shadu]

18. I would fight alright - fight the occupiers

I expect no less of these brave Iraqi soldiers

[DuctapeFatwa]

22. some folks just won't kill their neighbors, even when the US orders it

It's hard not to wonder what the percentages will be domestically, as events unfold.

[The Magistrate]

25. This, My Friend, Is Normal Conduct For Puppet Forces

It was ever thus, and so it shall remain....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[Zorra]

23. Let's see: China invades US, signs up Americans to kill other Americans.

Nope, that just ain't gonna work.

Why would a similar scenario work in Iraq?