Article

2007-07-08 Iraq

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2007-07-08 10:46|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 The US military has very high performance standards, and it is extremely hard to incorporate the culture of such standards with civilians who have no background in them.

Early on, we should have adopted a philosophy of making Iraqi military pay extra high, but only on the condition that you stay with your unit for your entire enlistment. This would also mean that early on, we would have to have some pay system for them to get money safely home to their families--a very difficult proposition.

In the final analysis, Iraq will have to use whatever we have given them to modernize and professionalize their military. For this reason, it would be very good to convince many of their seasoned leaders to enter politics, so that their government will have experts for its military policies.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-07-08 13:44|| 2007-07-08 13:44|| Front Page Top

#2 Salam Pak is in a Sunni area. Until the local tribes create a "Salvation Council" like Anbar, the soldiers are going to have to be imported from outside.

In the Arab scheme of things, this means desertion and under equipping is inevitable. (Arab and other 3rd world armies count on the family to provide a soldier's logistical support).

The Iraqi Army is facing an interesting tension: It is being built from the bottom up by the Americans, but the higher ranks are still stuck in the old way of doing things.

Right now the "frontier" between the 2 groups is the batallion headquarters. Most of the proplems are found above that line (pay doesn't arrive, no spare parts)

It remains to be seen which approach is going to prevail.

Al

Posted by Frozen Al 2007-07-08 14:34|| 2007-07-08 14:34|| Front Page Top

#3 The US has always had trouble training effective Arab forces because the US system is based on competence and initiative at the mid enlisted ranks and at the lower officer ranks. The Soviet system would probably work better but that makes joint operations more difficult. In the short term training an Arab force to operate like an American force seems to be akin to harnassing cold fusion. While infuriating, their culture does ensure that we will be able to bank on being able to defeat them handly for the forseable future.

Posted by Super Hose 2007-07-08 15:12|| 2007-07-08 15:12|| Front Page Top

#4 How can any amount of effort can work at training the Iraqis into a modern military force if they are not paid on time and adequately supplied? No wonder the Iraqi troops don't show up or desert. Those deficits are almost surely due to political corruption higher up the Iraqi political food chain.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-07-08 15:44|| 2007-07-08 15:44|| Front Page Top

#5 It seems reasonable to expect the process of building a Western-style professional army would take the better part of a generation, as those trained to the new standards slowly make their way up the ranks to command levels (that's the same as upper management in corporate parlance, right?) and Master Sergeants and such. I'm sure lots of unskilled and semi-skilled Iraqis signed up out of patriotism and desire for the paycheck, but are finding they aren't suited for the work. With time and the improving Iraqi economy, they'll be able to find other means of supporting their families, and the problem will gradually dwindle.

Equally, it's not likely we'll find perspective in a report from the Associated Press.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-07-08 17:36|| 2007-07-08 17:36|| Front Page Top

#6 Some of this, regretfully, is the Al-Maliki government, footdragging.

Posted by OldSpook 2007-07-08 22:03|| 2007-07-08 22:03|| Front Page Top

23:42 Eric Jablow
23:35 borgboy2001
23:21 Zenster
23:20 RD
23:19 RD
23:19 Adriane
23:10 Mike N.
22:57 Super Hose
22:55 trailing wife
22:55 N Guard
22:53 Mac
22:52 Super Hose
22:48 rpg7
22:45 Zenster
22:42 Super Hose
22:31 Mike N.
22:16 Frank G
22:15 trailing wife
22:03 OldSpook
21:59 Jonathan
21:49 Eric Jablow
21:39 gromgoru
21:27 N Guard
21:19 lotp