Bushco Says The Iraqis ARE Standing Up. Why Aren't We Standing Down?

[DistressedAmerican]

Here was Bush's claims from last year. Presumably if things are progressing like they say things are even better now. Right?

========================================================
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051130.html

Progress In Training Iraq Security Forces

To Defeat The Enemy, Iraqis Need Strong Military And Police Forces. Bringing skills and knowledge to the fight that Coalition forces cannot, Iraqi troops know their people, language, and culture. They know who the terrorists are and are earning the trust of their countrymen. As Iraqi forces grow in size and capability, they are helping to keep a better hold on cities and are increasingly taking the lead. The goal is to train enough Iraqi forces to carry the fight against the terrorists.

In The Past Year, Iraqi Security Forces Have Made Real Progress. This time last year, there were only a handful of combat-ready Iraqi battalions. Now, there are over 120 Iraqi Army and Police combat battalions in the fight - typically comprised of between 350 to 800 Iraqi forces. Of these, about 80 battalions are fighting alongside Coalition forces. About 40 other battalions are taking the lead, and most are controlling their own battle space and conducting their own operations with some Coalition support.

Iraqi Forces Are Taking The Lead. This progress is especially clear when comparing last year's assault in Fallujah and recent anti-terrorist operations in Tal Afar. In Fallujah, the assault was led by nine Coalition battalions - with six Iraqi battalions supporting. The Iraqis fought and sustained casualties but were primarily limited to protecting the flanks of Coalition forces and securing ground already cleared. This year in Tal Afar, the assault was primarily led by 11 Iraqi battalions, backed by five Coalition battalions. Many Iraqi units conducted their own anti-terrorist operations and controlled their own battle space. Many Iraqi forces have stayed behind to ensure the city's safety and move ahead with reconstruction projects. In October, the citizens of Tal Afar were able to vote on the constitutional referendum.

Iraqi Forces Are Taking Control Of More Territory. Today, over 30 Iraqi Army battalions have assumed primary control of their own areas of responsibility. In Baghdad, Iraqi battalions have taken over major sectors - including some of the city's toughest neighborhoods. Iraqi troops are securing the area around Baghdad's Haifa street, and roughly ninety square miles of Baghdad province. Across the country, Iraqi battalions are making similar strides, taking responsibility of areas in South-Central, Southeast, Western, and North-Central Iraq. As Iraqi forces take control of more territory, Coalition forces can concentrate on training Iraqis and hunting down high-value terrorist targets.

Coalition Bases Are Being Transferred To Iraqi Control. As Iraqi forces take over more territory, the Coalition is transferring forward operating bases to Iraqi control. Over a dozen bases have been handed over to the Iraqi government - including Saddam Hussein's former palace in Tikrit. From many of these bases, the Iraqi Security Forces are planning and executing their own operations against the terrorists.

By Any Reasonable Standard, The Iraqi Security Forces Are Making Progress. Some critics point to the fact that only one Iraqi battalion has achieved complete independence from the Coalition. To achieve complete independence, an Iraqi battalion must not only fight the enemy on its own but also provide its own support elements, including logistics, airlift, intelligence, and command and control through their ministries. There are some battalions from NATO militaries would not be able to meet this standard. But not every Iraqi unit has to meet this level of capability for the Iraqi Security Forces to take the lead in the fight against the terrorists.

====================================================

By this account things are going great. They have made claims of 260,000 trained Iraqi forces. We are apparently turning over all of our bases to the Iraqis. The Iraqis allegedly control much of the country as the holders of "primary control over their areas of responsibility". Things sound like they are going just great on the "Standing Up" side of things.

So, George when the hell does the goddammed "Standing Down" start?

Or were you lying to the country again you weasel?

I think I already know...:puke:

[mcctatas]

1. Because he has a hard on for oil...

plus he needs to make sure the Middle East is "Rapture Ready" before 2008!

[DistressedAmerican]

2. Looks Like Fareed Zakaria Is Ahead Of Me On This.

Just found this googling that 260,000 troop number to be sure I was accurate.

Love this guy's writing!


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/30/AR2006053001180.html

A Political Path Out of Iraq

By Fareed Zakaria
Wednesday, May 31, 2006; Page A19

I'm glad that the president has finally admitted to some mistakes in Iraq. But what worries me is that he seems to be persisting in one important error. At his news conference last week, the only concrete plan he outlined to move forward -- on a path out of Iraq -- was a better-functioning Iraqi army and police force. In this respect Bush is hardly alone. Many who criticize him on the right and left say that the training of Iraqi troops is happening too slowly, or that we need more American troops, or that we should flood the city of Baghdad with forces to stabilize it. But all these solutions are technocratic and military, while the problem in Iraq is fundamentally political. Until we fully recognize this, doing more of the same will accomplish little.

Initially the Sunnis thought they could use military power -- through the insurgency -- to get their way. Now many Shiites think they can use military power -- through the government's security services and militias -- to get their way. For our part, despite the denials, we believed that what we needed was more troops, Iraqi troops. Except that 260,000 Iraqi soldiers and police are "standing up" and it hasn't led to any significant withdrawal of Americans. The reality is that only an effective political bargain will bring about order. There needs to be a deal that gives all three communities strong incentives to cooperate rather than be spoilers.

While the United States can push hard in this direction, forging this bargain falls largely on the shoulders of the new prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. I met Maliki a year ago in a small safe house in Baghdad. He was then a Dawa party official, with no position in the government. He is a big, strapping man and came across as straightforward and confident. He also came across as a hard-line Shiite, unyielding in his religious views and extremely punitive toward the Sunnis. He did not strike me as a man who wanted national reconciliation in Iraq.

But many Iraqi and U.S. officials who have spoken to him since he became prime minister believe that he understands his new role. If so, he will have to tackle quickly the two big political challenges Iraq faces: weakening the insurgency and disbanding sectarian militias. Neither can be done purely militarily.


-MORE AT LINK-

[lala_rawraw]

3. Iraq was in a state of emergency for the past two days...

how is that progress is beyond me:(

[DistressedAmerican]

4. After A LArge Battle Near The Greenzone.

It is like the area we control just shrinks and shrinks.