Iraq forces could control all provinces this year: U.S.

Iraq forces could control all provinces this year: U.S.

www.reuters.com

Iraq's army and police could be ready to take over security in all 18 provinces by the end of this year as the U.S. military moves toward a less prominent role in the country, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

"We look at it every month. We make recommendations. I think that if we continue along the path we're on now, we'll be able to do that by the end of 2008," Lt. Gen. Ray Odiern said when asked when Iraqi forces could take the lead in all provinces.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.msnbc.msn.com

This is great news!

We can finally bring our soldiers home now that the Iraqis are actually taking responsibility for their own country.

Regardless of whether or not I agree with the war, I think its time everyone comes home.

Iraqi security forces are now in control of nine provinces after assuming control of Iraqi's southern oil hub, Basra, in December. Iraqi forces are also expected to take control in Anbar province, a one-time insurgent stronghold, as early as March.

How many provinces does Iraq have in total?


The MSNBC link I provided has a general saying that the Iraqi forces are not ready...

So we'll have to stay there for 10 more years until the military and police can defend themselves?

Maybe we shouldn't have disbanded the Iraqi military in the first place; most of them weren't even loyal to Saddam and now we're probably training the same people who were relieved of duty a few years ago.

Nice.

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by biggie smalls

Maybe we shouldn't have disbanded the Iraqi military in the first place; most of them weren't even loyal to Saddam and now we're probably training the same people who were relieved of duty a few years ago.

Biggie, you hit the nail on the head. That's something that just about everyone in the US military is saying, and has said from the beginning. The worse mistake we made was disbanding their Army.