Iraq Reliant on U.S. Troops for Security

[Barrett808]

Iraq Reliant on U.S. Troops for Security
By TODD PITMAN, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A single muzzle-flash from a rooftop 200 yards away sends a 14-man patrol of U.S. and Iraqi troops crouching behind mud-brick houses in a poor Baghdad neighborhood at dusk.

The joint patrol is key to Washington's exit strategy: putting Iraqis in charge of their own security so American troops can go home.

Since the June 28 transfer of sovereignty, Iraqis are patrolling more — both with U.S. troops and without. But ill-trained and poorly equipped, Iraqi security forces are still heavily dependent on American support and firepower to combat the more than 15-month-old insurgency.

"We're trying to push them out as much as possible," U.S. 1st Lt. Christopher Gebbia said of the six Iraqi national guardsmen accompanying his group.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040809/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_changing_guard&cid=540&ncid=1480

[Nambe]

1. Who bombed their infrastructure and dismantled their army?

Who ignored the progress of the United Nations with all it's experience and wisdom? Who puts anyone with an opinion in prison and tortures them in ways that would make hitler blush? Yikes batman.

[daleo]

2. Title should be (just for the record)

"Iraq Puppet Government Reliant on U.S. Troops For Security".

This sounds like VietNamization. It has been tried.