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Iraq
Allawi suggests callup of the army
2003-10-20
Iraq's interim leader called for an immediate mobilization of the country's old army to help the Americans as ambush teams struck U.S. targets around Baghdad, killing two American soldiers. The United States would "speed the process of relieving the burden on its troops" by recalling the disbanded Iraqi military, said Iyad Allawi, current president of the Iraqi Governing Council.
I've heard worse ideas. Not many, but some...
Attackers killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded a third in a clash outside the northern city of Kirkuk late Saturday. Others blasted a broken-down convoy in the western flashpoint city of Fallujah, setting off spectacular explosions from an ammunition
truck. The deaths in Kirkuk brought to 103 the number of Americans killed by hostile fire since U.S. President George W.Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1. A total 338 Americans have died since the March 20 invasion
of Iraq, 217 of them in combat.
There could actually be something to be said for this idea, goofy as it sounds at first hearing. The "People's Army" and "Quds Army" would be useless, as would the Republican Guard units, for different reasons. But Iraq's conventional forces, with a thorough overhaul of the officers' corps... Hmmm...
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#5  Got an earfull from a recent returnee today. Seems like our estimates of the number of border-crossers is astonishingly low. Also learned that only about one in 25 actually makes it into the country. There's a big disparity between those numbers and what we hear on CNN. My source, a recently-returned grunt, says that Iraqis provide more than half the border security, and they shoot first and ask questions of the survivors, if there are any. Also said the death toll can be as high as 300 a day. That's a hefty figure! Also heard from another source that many Iraqis are showing up at US Army locations, asking what they can do to help, including whacking and stacking bad guys. One totally volunteer effort is being trained to clear mines. Another is supposedly dredging the Tigris & Euphrates rivers of crap thrown in during Saddam's reign - everything from old bottles of cooking oil to whole trucks. Maybe giving the Iraqis more of a say in the day-to-day activity of their country is the best way to go.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-10-20 6:36:21 PM  

#4  Hummmmmmm -- wonder if Chief Wiggles' generals could play some role with this? He said they had some great ideas for putting their country back together. I've been curious about that.
Posted by: Sherry   2003-10-20 5:36:54 PM  

#3  This idea is cathing on in Afghanistan as well. At least with the guys who got laid off. Former Afghan Military Personnel Protest
Posted by: Super Hose   2003-10-20 4:07:26 PM  

#2  The Iraqi's conventional army was composed of draftees. Most draftees might not want to be called up. You might also get some bad guys showing up and getting access to barracks and weapons depots they could blow up. On the other hand this does have the advantage of giving the Iraqi's a dog in the fight, since its their fight and all.
Posted by: Yank   2003-10-20 4:03:10 PM  

#1  Dont forget the training they will require. Iraq's 'regular army' is not really much of an 'army' by our standards.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2003-10-20 3:58:37 PM  

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