Obama poised to send more troops to train Iraqis

Officials said Obama is considering authorizing an increase of under 500 troops to boost the capacity of the Iraqi army and Sunni tribal fighters.

"Because the forces we've trained are performing better than expected, we feel it's in everyone's interest to train more."

http://news.yahoo.com/us-weighs-expanded-training-iraqi-forces-sunnis-174003477.html

What the....How can you say that the Iraqi military is performing good when twice it dropped all of its weapons and ran away from a fight.

Then this has been found....

"Iraq’s army looked good on paper when the Americans left, after one of the biggest training missions carried out under wartime conditions. But after that, senior Iraqi officers began buying their own commissions, paying for them out of the supply, food and payroll money of their troops. Corruption ran up and down the ranks; desertion was rife."
There are a little under 3,000 U.S. troops in Iraq now. The majority of those are soldiers.

It would seem that America won't learn its lesson will it? Sending more troops there won't stop the corruption and graft of the government run only by one faction of the Iraqi populace. So let us watch again how the newly trained Iraqi military handle ISIS for they were already cowards run away again. Training the Iraqi military again won't prevent the same outcome from happening and more money, equipment and personnel will vanish again.

 

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Quick, tell Texas that Obama's sending troo... Oops, sorry.

Well, ain't it better to at least attempt to train the locals? Even if they aren't exactly the best or bravest.

 

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What's the alternative?

 

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The locals were already trained when American troops were there from 2009 through 2013 so what happened to all their training then? Of course the Iraqi left all of their weapons when they retreated from both battles they were in. So America goes back and retrains them, what do you think will be the outcome of this exercise, watching the cowards run away again? If after years of past training can't get the Iraqi's to fight for themselves then you think this new training is going to change them? As I said in my OP there's to much corruption in their government for the military to do much about ISIS. There are no leaders in Iraq that can do what must be done and that isn't going to change.

 

I'd say that if ISIS takes over it will be the same as Saddam Husain in charge once again. The ISIS are being run by ex Saddam generals so they will take control once Iraq falls. With the corruption and lack of leadership Iraq isn't going to hold up for much longer.

 

So what's the alternative?

 

There really isn't one for unless those who are in charge there now change their ways and start to bring all factions into the government there isn't going to be much for the Sunni to do but give up there control to someone who will support all factions. I said this would happen when the American troops left for America can't station 50,000 troops within Iraq for they would be doing the fighting not the Iraqi's.

 

ISIS doesn't support all factions, and what's the big deal if we send some military trainers? We can't let ISIS have all of Iraq and Iraq's oil. That would be a disaster.

 

When Saddam was in power did he give oil to America. If yes then I'd think his generals would do the same. What's the big deal? Those are American lives that you call a big deal so do not forget that. Sending more troops wouldn't have any affect years from now when they leave and let the Iraqi military take full control for the same thing will happen again with corruption and greed taking over just as has happened now. I don't like seeing allied troops being sent into a combat zone where the Iraqi military could just retreat as they have done twice leaving allied troops to fight for themselves.

 

Iraq is an artificial state with 3 major groups. Let them each have their own country. The Kurds and Shiites will take care of themselves, while the Sunni arabs will have to contend with ISIS.

 

They aren't combat troops. And believe me they would have an exit plan.

And what's the big deal if terrorists get a country? I think that's the whole reason we invaded Afghanistan.

 

Not an option, only the Kurds can really defend themselves.

 

The Iranians can defend themselves as well.

 

Let them fight it out and choose their own destinies.

 

The only destiny I want for ISIS is a violent death.

 

OK. So let's let all the Arabs who hate them do that for you. That way when the next revenge war starts, it will be within the Middle East, and will not reach to the US.

 

there is a world of difference between isis and saddam

 

If it only costs sending some trainers to Iraq, why wouldn't we? It's an almost trivial cost.

 

Right. Just as the "limited police action" in Vietnam was a trivial cost, and wasn't even really a war.

Support them? Sure. Give them some manuals? Great. But send troops over there, even if they are called "trainers?" No thanks. We get ourselves into wars that way.

 

We are in it already, it's our responsibility now, especially since we made such a mess of it previously.