The soldiers quoted in this article are coming up against harsh realities for which their commanders have not prepared them and which the U.S. government seems unwilling to acknowledge. "Ninety-five percent of Iraqis are good but five percent are bad. But the 95 percent are too weak to stand up to the five percent." Now, why is that? The 95 percent fear for their lives, of course, and they also can mount no effective response to the jihadist claim to represent pure Islam. That's why every day is like Groundhog Day: the 95 percent will never step up as long as the Americans are there to do it for them, because these things are not going to change.
"US troops in Iraq want out," from AFP:
For US troops from 9th Cavalry Regiment bumping around the dangerous streets of Baghdad in Humvees after dark on Monday, news that their deployment in Iraq could be extended fell like a hammer blow.Their commanders had cautioned that their second one-year tour due to end in October could be prolonged while US President George W. Bush later warned troops it was too soon to "pack up and go home."
The expletives during the four-hour night patrol turned the air in the Humvee, already thick with cigarette smoke, a dark shade of blue.
"We just want to get out of here as soon as possible," said one vehicle commander in one of his few printable comments.
"It's because the Iraqi army is so scared that we have to come here to die," he added, asking not to be named.
"Ninety-five percent of Iraqis are good but five percent are bad. But the 95 percent are too weak to stand up to the five percent."
"Bush should send all the Death Row prisoners here and they can be killed fighting the terrorists. We've had enough," said another soldier, as the Humvee accelerated past a roadside car in case it exploded.
Added yet another, "Bush can come fight here. He can take my 1,000 dollars a month and I'll go home."...
"It is like the movie 'Groundhog Day'. Each day is the same and nothing ever changes," he added, referring to the 1993 movie in which the principal character is doomed to repeat the same day endlessly....
Platoon commander of the 9th Cavalry Regiment, Captain Christopher Dawson, said he understood the need for troops to stay in Iraq.
"We are starting to make a difference," he said. "The violence is dropping. We are training Iraqis to take over responsibility for their own security. We are helping them see their future ahead of them. It is in their hands."
But the lower ranks were in rebellious mood, especially after publication of a poll on Monday, commissioned by the BBC, ABC News, ARD German TV and USA Today, which showed only 18 percent of those questioned had confidence in US and coalition troops, while 78 percent opposed their presence.
"If no one wants us here we are quite ready to get out tomorrow," said the outspoken vehicle commander.
One of the few Iraqis the troops met during their night patrol -- most stay indoors once the 8pm curfew kicks in -- said he feared the day the US forces pulled out.
"They can stay for 100 years if they want," said Salam Ahmed, a security guard at a shoe warehouse on the outskirts of the city. "If they go, the bad guys will certainly come for me."
Indeed.
What a predictament. We stay, the Iraqis will never be motivated to stand on their own. We leave and the jihadists will take over.
It will remain so throughout the Islamic world until the people are innoculated from the root plague.
Jihadis are vectors of the disease. The disease itself must be weakened, damaged and pushed into the dark recesses of the world.
The spirit of the Iraqi people was so totally crushed under Saddam and it will take atleast a generation to recover, thats why they won't step up and you find only the radically fueled Jihadists pushing their agenda. No fault to the U.S. troops, they have done their primary job in taking down the Saddam regime...but a military presence is not going to solve the root problem, its simply gonna take time society to recover there...but it might never happen if radical Islam becomes the next poison to attack them.
Iraq appears to be a bridge too far.
When the Wall fell and the Cold War ended, I know that many in my circle of Polish and Polish-American friends were extremely disappointed with how the recently liberated Poles conducted themselves. It occurred to many that it is difficult for a society and a culture that has not been free for a couple of generations takes time to learn to adapt to being free. Of course, Poland is doing pretty well now, but Poland was always a country of the West and it had a history of Rule of Law etc.(it was the second country in the history of the world to have a written Constitution).
Contrast Poland with countries like Russia or Belarus---countries without a history of the rule of law, Western concepts of individual righs, etc. Russia is backsliding into a system of government that while not currently totalitarian, is definitely authoritarian. These countries aren't "working out" in the way the West would like, and they are not predominantly Muslim countries.
Iraq adds the factor of Islam to the equation. It would appear that the Islam-factor was not given sufficient consideration by our leaders.
It must be incredibly frustrating for our military--a group of self-selected people who by definition are looking for an opportunity to "stand up" to see the lack of personal responsibility assumed by the "good" Iraqis.
Apparently Islam tends to push people into to one of two camps: (1) violent aggressors; or (2) passive bystanders.
The Iraqis aren't fools. The average one doesn't give a damn and just wants to get by in life-why should he be bothered to fight jihadists when the US is doing so? There's no stake in it for him that he can see. All the more reason to start packing up and leave-if the Iraqi people don't have the incentive to clean up Iraq and build a nation because the US is there doing everything for them then the Iraqi people are not worthy of a nation. They'd be little different than the palestinians. It's time for the US to provide those people an incentive by pulling out.
JSobieski
"Iraq appears to be a bridge too far."
Operation Market Garden!!
Great example. Great book, Good Movie!
Yes it has that feel to it does it not.
The difference between Bush and his predecessors is that Bush believed his own lies for the first five years of his term. Now he just looks lost.
It is not in our nation’s interest to protect Iraqis from each other. It is in our nation’s interest to establish a forward base in New Kurdistan with a big wall around it.
The young men bravely and patiently serving in the streets of Iraq, who are learning about Iraqis and Islam, will be strategic assets to the West as time moves on. They deserve our deepest thanks.
I read a book "Inside the Jihad".. the author was in the afghan camps in the 90s. He relates a discussion that was held in 1995 where the consensus of the camp leaders was that the next place the Jihad would take place would be Iraq.
This is in 1995. What's going on Iraq now was inevitible.. Better that we're there in place, then to have to fight our way in.
This is actually normal. Nock refered to these folks as the "remnant".
Even in a military unit, about 10% do most of the killing. Radical islam is reaching that dangerous 10%. We are not.
In any revolution, that 10% does the heavy lifting, and the rest just sit on the sidelines and cheer the winners afterwards.
Unless we can get to and motivate that 10% to our side, we will lose.
iraq is the new nazi germany and will unite with iran and then WW3 will be waged across the world....
yeah so I read in that recent USA Today poll that something like just over 50% of Iraqis believe it is perfectly okay and acceptable to target and kill US forces as occupiers... and then I read in the same poll where something like 70-80% (somewhere in there) of Iraqis want us to stay.
Yeah, they want us to stay and fight for their freedom and liberty while it's also okay for them to murder us hand over fist.
Nice people. And frankly, I'd be shocked if they believed anything different.
After all, isn't it the stupid infidels' place to die for the muslim ??
Koranimals. Nothing is going to change over there. It is time to pull the hell out and let them fight each other to the death.
There is a dawning realization the troops are bringing back. The Iraqi people suck.
What a predictament. We stay, the Iraqis will never be motivated to stand on their own. We leave and the jihadists will take over.
Posted by: Elric66 at March 22, 2007 10:00 AM
++++++++++++++
freedom has to be earned in fighting and letting of blood and death including killing the enemy even if the enemy is your next door neighbor.....or....best friend..........
iraqs can fight to be free or live and die as the germans did across germany in WW2.........
The Texican.
Live Free and Die Free.
God Family America Freedom the only choice at any cost.
from the "afp"? of course! it embarrassing that you'd even use this article.