Ramadi

[Crossless2.0]

McCain's quote from above: “The problem is that when we left, there was a vacuum. Maliki decided to control the armed services. He fired all of his good people and hollowed out the army and then we had this consequence ... of, really, a collapse,” McCain, R-Ariz., said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“So, we’ll have to start all over, I think, on training the Iraqi military and have a kind of a change in attitude on the part of the Iraqis that makes them understand the importance of good leadership and good training and that’s going to take, by the way, some American trainers.”

What's stunning about McCain's remark is that he seems to forget how we initiated the hollowing out of the Iraqi army with de-Ba'athification.  To wit: "Specifically, the Iraqi military was affected by Order No. 2. The Order called for the complete dissolution of the Iraqi military, and reportedly resulted in the unemployment and loss of pensions of approximately 500,000 individuals.  The figures regarding this level of unemployment are approximately 27%.  Many critics argue that this order specifically spurred the development of an armed insurgency."

More:  The security impact of the de-Ba'athification policy and the Order No. 2 disbanding the military were devastating in terms of their security impact. One of the most senior military officials in the United States, Admiral Mike Mullen states that the de-Ba'athification policy coupled with the disbanding of the Iraqi military created security problems, and unnecessary sectarian tension. The Admiral stated that that Iraqi military could have been used to help secure the country more quickly, but instead its disbandment contributed to the overall decay in security.  Other observers of the Iraq War conclude that the disbandment of the Iraqi military, coupled with de-Ba'athification fueled, if not created the insurgency against Coalition Forces.

Growth of insurgency:

Most sources regarding the Iraq War generally agree that CPA policies, such as de-Ba’athification and CPA Order Number 2 disbanding the Iraqi military and other security apparatuses exacerbated or created the insurgency in Iraq.  Supporting this view is Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s conversation with a former soldier in the Iraqi Army:

Chandrasekaran: "What happened to everyone there? Did they join the new army?"

Soldier: "They’re all insurgents now. Bremer lost his chance."

This quote also reveals that the insurgency was not only a means of expressing anger at a Coalition occupation of Iraq, but also motivated by economic and employment necessities. With thousands of ostracized Ba’ath Party members and hundreds of thousands of soldiers rendered unemployed, joining the insurgency could provide a means to a monthly income to provide for one’s family "in a land bereft of jobs."

One of the other reasons for the growth of a specifically Sunni insurgency was the fact that they felt alienated by the de-Ba’athfication policy and saw the insurgency as a means of retaliation.  Additionally, Chandrasekaran cited the CPA's inability to adequately provide services as a motivation for individuals to join the insurgency in order to retaliate against the power perceived as responsible for their plight."

[Quoted from Wikipedia article on De-Ba'athification]

But it's all on Maliki?  Right . . .

From Vietnam onward, we never fucking learn -- McCain, it seems, especially.

[abaris]

They went into Iraq like the village idiot into a bar brawl. Lot's of muscle but no signs of having two brain cells to rub together. And many knew beforehand what would happen. The idiots were warned of the consequences but in their brazen ignorance they refused to listen and were proud of allies like the Marshall Isles and Micronesia instead of asking themselves why countries like Germany and France didn't embark on their little adventure.

As has been said, the disbanding of the Iraqui army was the biggest mistake of all. Thousands of career officers with enough hatred and knowledge to make the opposition stronger.

[Minimalist]

What's stunning about McCain's remark is that he seems to forget how we initiated the hollowing out of the Iraqi army with de-Ba'athification.

Republicunts hate facts the way a vampire hates sunlight.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The war in Iraq was a concatenation of stupid decisions fueled by hubris and a complete lack of historical understanding, not to mention a politicized decision process for military planning which ensured that there would not be enough manpower to address the social forces our invasion unleashed.

[Minimalist]

Could not agree more.

[Minimalist]

Interesting.  I wonder if McCain still wants to keep training these clowns?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/midd...ml?hpid=z1

Fall of Ramadi reflects failure of Iraq’s strategy against Islamic State, analysts say

BAGHDAD — As Islamic State militants repeatedly attacked ­Ramadi this year, police solicited cash from local families and businessmen to buy weapons, one officer recalled. The Iraqi government didn’t pay the police for months, he said.

“We begged and begged for more support from the government, but nothing,” said Col. Eissa al-Alwani, a senior police officer in the city.

[Mudhammam]

solution 1. Nuke 
solution 2. give them a reason to fight <- best option give those lazy fuckers a damn good reason to fight
solution 3. More drone strikes 

[Minimalist]

http://www.iraqsun.com/index.php/sid/233020983

Iraqi government has urged volunteers to join the fight against Islamic State (IS), and help retake the city of Ramadi.

A statement released by the cabinet said that a voluntary recruitment drive was necessary to fill shortages in squads in the west of Anbar province, reported the BBC.

Volunteers?  Really?

We piss away a trillion dollars training these fucks and this is the best they can come up with?

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think they're volunteering for a steady three meals a day, and don't give much of a shit about anything else.

I say we let Iran handle it. They stand to lose the most, they stand to gain little (because they already have an immense amount of influence on the Iraqi government), and it is usually wise statecraft to let one's enemies tire themselves against each other.

[nihilistcat]

Showing yet again that if the Shia militias sit on the sidelines the Iraqi government is totally fucked.

Well done, Neo-cons.

solution 1. Nuke 
solution 2. give them a reason to fight <- best option give those lazy fuckers a damn good reason to fight
solution 3. More drone strikes 

solution 4. Do nothing, wait a few decades, build sweatshops (like we did in Vietnam)
solution 5. Do nothing, after a few decades, continue to not give a shit
solution 6. Give Kurdish anarchists all the shit they need to waste ISIS and build utopia (my favorite option)
solution 7. Let the warmongers at CNN and Fox continue to scare the sheeple with images of 20 year old's dressed in black (that any real army could destroy in a matter of weeks), and continue to bullshit us as to the degree of danger ISIS actually poses (i.e. none), making these Islamotards unnecessarily important (and making John McCains' ancient ass relevant when we should relegate old and crusty to the scrap heap of American history)