For first time, Iraqi troops refuse U.S. training -- unit disbanded.

[DeepModem Mom]

ABC News:
Iraqi troops refuse US training

An Iraqi national guard unit has been disbanded after it refused to attend a military training academy overseen by US advisers....
The soldiers, part of a 90-strong force that calls itself the Defence Force of Rutba, said they feared reprisals from locals if they were seen to have cooperated with the Americans....(I)t is believed to be the first case of soldiers refusing to attend training for fear of reprisals....

***

...Ahmed Dhahi (a former soldier in the force) said the disagreement began two months ago when he said the US military first raised the idea of them attending a training course.

"They told us we had no right to refuse, they said the duty of soldiers was to obey orders, but we said 'We are Iraqis, not Americans, we don't follow orders from Americans'," he said.

"We did not want the locals to think that we were working with the Americans and then threaten us."

Mr Dhahi said that once it became clear that the unit would not attend, the US military took away their weapons, uniforms and identification tags and dismissed the force....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200506/s1384830.htm

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Just another sign of that flourishing democracy.

:rofl:

[Missy M]

2. Quite a democracy...

the US Military said it was the Iraqi's duty (in Iraq) to obey US orders and when they did not attend took away their weapons, etc. So much for freedom to the Iraqi people.

[FreedomAngel82]

7. Ugh

How disgusting. They did the right thing I think. They stud up for themselves. I think if they did do what they said it could've started something bad. Like them always following orders of them and then never learning to be on their own. I'm glad they stud up.

[gratuitous]

3. "We don't follow orders from Americans"

Gee, you'd think the enormous contingent of folks who didn't want to see our military taking orders from foreigners as part of a UN multi-national force would have foreseen this attitude on the part of Iraqis.

Although, in the U.S. case, I suspect that it's merely garden variety chauvinism and xenophobia. In the case of the Iraqis, there could be some serious, real world consequences for being seen as collaborators with the invaders.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Good points

I think that could've been the main reason. They didn't want to be seen as "traitors" and all that. Very understandable because someone might threaten, or even kill, them and/or their families.

[kenny blankenship]

4. But.. but.. I thought the only people opposed to us were foreign jihadis?

Sorry no further text. This news has shattered my cornfed, media constructed worldview and all I have left are plaintive questions.

[Botany]

5. Can you blame them?

Get trained by the Americans so the other side can kill your whole family.
* has a lot to answer for. No horse riding pretend cowboy punk.

[MissWaverly]

6. Freedom is on the march in Iraq

But it is marching away from us.

[lonestarnot]

8. Hehehehehehehehe! Civil War!