U.S. General: Iraq Police Training a Flop

[Khephra]

TAJI, Iraq -- Misguided U.S. training of Iraqi police contributed to the country's instability and has delayed getting enough qualified Iraqis on the streets to ease the burden on American forces, the head of armed forces training said Wednesday.

"It hasn't gone well. We've had almost one year of no progress," said Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, who departs Iraq next week after spending a year assembling and training the country's 200,000 army, police and civil defense troops.

"We've had the wrong training focus -- on individual cops rather than their leaders," Eaton said in an interview with The Associated Press.

snip.........

Eaton, a plainspoken officer who didn't shirk responsibility for his role in the problems, said soldiers of Iraq's 2nd Brigade simply ignored U.S. orders to fight their countrymen.

"They basically quit. They told us, 'We're an army for external defense and you want us to go to Fallujah?' That was a personal mistake on my part," Eaton said.

more.....................

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-iraq-fixing-security,0,5806843.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[Spazito]

1. Oh oh, the truth is coming out more and more....

this Major General can kiss any promotions goodbye. Good for him for actually stating the facts.