Article

2009-07-13 Iraq

Marines transform Iraqi soldiers into professional force

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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2009-07-13 12:26|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Sounds like the first Arab army you wouldn't want to mess with. Has to make both KSA (and Kuwait) and Iran at least a little nervous.

Posted by Glenmore 2009-07-13 13:03|| 2009-07-13 13:03|| Front Page Top

#2 ...which is a feature, not a bug.

Posted by Procopius2k 2009-07-13 14:24|| 2009-07-13 14:24|| Front Page Top

#3 Oh Boy, While I love Sock Puppets and I make a pretty good one myself, I had to give a correct answer to post........spoil sports!! I mean we could have a lot of fun with this.

Anyway, I always thought that the end game in Iraq was not Saddam or Al Qaeda but creating a wedge between Iran and Syria that would be able to apply pressure to both of those countries. A viable democracy with a professional army and a working economy are more dangerous to Syria and Iran than anything we can put in the middle east. I do not think it is a coincidence that the kangaroo court elections in Iran were greeted with riots this time around when they were not four years ago.
Also the oil reserves that Iraq has and there is significant geological data that says there are vast unexplored reserves in the north between Mosul and Kirkut and to the west of Kirkut, are a threat to the KSA. With a pro US or semi pro US regime in Iraq, and those oil reserves in Iraq available, the Saudis have far less leverage on us and are open to more diplomatic hardball by us.
It is not just killing terrorists that will determine "victory" in Iraq, it is the end game, the end of business as usual in the ME by KSA, Syria and Iran, brought on by a viable democratic government with a professional army in Iraq.

Posted by James Carville 2009-07-13 14:33|| 2009-07-13 14:33|| Front Page Top

#4 Good comments from Carville(ugh!, can't you come up with a better handle?) and Procopius. The balance of power in the Middle East is changing, let us hope for the better.

Posted by Richard of Oregon 2009-07-13 14:46|| 2009-07-13 14:46|| Front Page Top

#5 Given the enemy activity that is still ongoing in Iraq, this professional army still has to prove it can get the job done and keep the people of Iraq safe. Too many bombings of late.

Posted by remoteman 2009-07-13 15:04|| 2009-07-13 15:04|| Front Page Top

#6 Baby steps folks, they are in the toddler stages. Not looking at their toes but not quite ready to run.

Posted by tipover 2009-07-13 18:13|| 2009-07-13 18:13|| Front Page Top

#7 Not just the Marines - far more Army personnel are involved. Army just doesn't have the self-promotion capabilities the USMC has.

Posted by OldSpook 2009-07-13 20:30|| 2009-07-13 20:30|| Front Page Top

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