To begin, the Iraqi army abandoned their post, not just once, but twice. Both times was a major abandonment of the land both Americans and other Iraqis fought and died to defend and protect.
I don't doubt this is the lack of will to fight because the Iraqi army is demoralized by the brutal violence in the Daesh regime, but, the second time proved something more. The Daesh regime benefits from taking over land that has been infiltrated by the Iraqi army.
This is the second time Daesh has benefited from the retreat of the Iraqi army. The abandonment of their fight is not only a retreat, but, allows Daesh an opportunity to better arm themselves and become reinvigorated with munitions and equipment.
There is no doubt the Iraqi army was overwhelmed the first time when Daesh first crossed the Iraqi border, but, to have that happen again is a profound curiosity. The first time there were many people taken prisoner and consequently executed in brutal methods. But, the second time the Iraqi army did exactly the same thing as before. They left tanks, humvees and munitions behind and in doing so caused the reinvigoration of Daesh. The soldiers are not only leaving their post, they are allowing enhanced danger to the civilians they leave behind.
Enough. The region is unstable and has been since the USA invasion. The warring never ended and it still hasn't. The regional powers are going to have to assess their own sovereign interests and move to take land away from Daesh. To expect an Iraqi army to do the job is ridiculous. There is no reason to continue to expect the USA to have a role in this disaster in international policy since March of 2003. There was rarely a day that went by without sectarian violence of one kind or another. This is not the USA's fight.
The cute and catchy theme of "You broke it, you bought it." is hideous and ridiculous. The USA has poured billions after billions if not trillions into this country with the same result. It's over in Iraq. The United Nation has to assess the shifting borders as well.
May 24, 2015
By Ken Dilanian
The Islamic State (click here) group’s takeover of Ramadi is stark evidence that Iraqi forces lack the “will to fight,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, in the harshest assessment yet from a high-ranking Obama administration official of the U.S. effort to bolster Iraqi forces to retake their territory from extremist militants.
Iraqi soldiers “vastly outnumbered” their opposition in the capital of Anbar province but quickly withdrew from the city in Iraq’s Sunni heartland, Carter said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The interview aired on Sunday.
The Iraqis left behind large numbers of U.S.-supplied vehicles, including several tanks.
“What apparently happened is the Iraqi forces just showed no will to fight,” Carter said. “They were not outnumbered; in fact, they vastly outnumbered the opposing force. That says to me, and I think to most of us, that we have an issue with the will of the Iraqis to fight ISIL and defend themselves.”
Iraqi lawmaker Hakim al-Zamili, the head of the parliamentary defense and security committee, called Carter’s comments “unrealistic and baseless,” in an interview with The Associated Press....
I don't doubt this is the lack of will to fight because the Iraqi army is demoralized by the brutal violence in the Daesh regime, but, the second time proved something more. The Daesh regime benefits from taking over land that has been infiltrated by the Iraqi army.
This is the second time Daesh has benefited from the retreat of the Iraqi army. The abandonment of their fight is not only a retreat, but, allows Daesh an opportunity to better arm themselves and become reinvigorated with munitions and equipment.
There is no doubt the Iraqi army was overwhelmed the first time when Daesh first crossed the Iraqi border, but, to have that happen again is a profound curiosity. The first time there were many people taken prisoner and consequently executed in brutal methods. But, the second time the Iraqi army did exactly the same thing as before. They left tanks, humvees and munitions behind and in doing so caused the reinvigoration of Daesh. The soldiers are not only leaving their post, they are allowing enhanced danger to the civilians they leave behind.
Enough. The region is unstable and has been since the USA invasion. The warring never ended and it still hasn't. The regional powers are going to have to assess their own sovereign interests and move to take land away from Daesh. To expect an Iraqi army to do the job is ridiculous. There is no reason to continue to expect the USA to have a role in this disaster in international policy since March of 2003. There was rarely a day that went by without sectarian violence of one kind or another. This is not the USA's fight.
The cute and catchy theme of "You broke it, you bought it." is hideous and ridiculous. The USA has poured billions after billions if not trillions into this country with the same result. It's over in Iraq. The United Nation has to assess the shifting borders as well.
May 24, 2015By Ken Dilanian
The Islamic State (click here) group’s takeover of Ramadi is stark evidence that Iraqi forces lack the “will to fight,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, in the harshest assessment yet from a high-ranking Obama administration official of the U.S. effort to bolster Iraqi forces to retake their territory from extremist militants.
Iraqi soldiers “vastly outnumbered” their opposition in the capital of Anbar province but quickly withdrew from the city in Iraq’s Sunni heartland, Carter said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The interview aired on Sunday.
The Iraqis left behind large numbers of U.S.-supplied vehicles, including several tanks.
“What apparently happened is the Iraqi forces just showed no will to fight,” Carter said. “They were not outnumbered; in fact, they vastly outnumbered the opposing force. That says to me, and I think to most of us, that we have an issue with the will of the Iraqis to fight ISIL and defend themselves.”
Iraqi lawmaker Hakim al-Zamili, the head of the parliamentary defense and security committee, called Carter’s comments “unrealistic and baseless,” in an interview with The Associated Press....
