Saturday, October 02, 2004

William Lind.  Training troops in Iraq.  When asked for their solution to the mess in Iraq, both of America’s presidential candidates – Tweedledumb and Tweedlephony – advance the same line: “train more Iraqi security forces.” Once enough Iraqis have been trained, they suggest, American troops can be withdrawn and our puppet Iraqi government can stand on its own six legs.  Unfortunately, the problem is not training, but loyalty. All the training in the world is worthless if the people being trained have no reason to fight for those who are training them. And a paycheck isn’t much of a reason, especially when the fellow Iraqis they are to battle are fighting for God. Throughout history, armies of hirelings have melted at a touch when faced with people fighting for something they believe in. All the training in the world will make no difference. The core problem is the deepest taproot of Fourth Generation war: the “state” Iraqi security forces are being told to fight for has no legitimacy. When Bush and Kerry argue that we can avoid defeat in Iraq by training more Iraqis to do the fighting for us, they are indulging in a grand illusion.  Plus a Boyd analysis of the situation. 12:08:11 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Mini Harper's index on Iraq: Monthly average of US casualties (wounded and killed) during the invastion:  482 Monthly average of US casualties during the occupation: 415 Monthly average of US casualties since the transition to Iraqi rule: 747 The number of attacks on the Iraqi oil industry in April 2004:  4 The number of attacks on the Iraqi oil industry in June 2004:  12 The number of attacks on the Iraqi oil industry in August 2004:  21 Oil prices (five year contract) 1991-2001:  ~$20 Oil prices (five year contract) 2004:  $35 Estimate of guerrilla insurgents in Iraq as of November 2003:  5,000 Estimate of guerrilla insurgents in Iraq as of September 2004:  20,000 Unofficial estimates of guerrilla insurgents in Iraq as of today:  40,000 - 50,000 Average yearly cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:  ~$82 billion (what was spent so far and the $87 billion requested for 2005 for warfighting and reconstruction). Average yearly cost of the Vietnam war (today's dollars): $61.8 billion 10:21:10 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

The lack of resistance in Samarra demonstrates the power of the TAZ (temporary autonomous zone) concept.  Manufactured sanctuary.  In a couple of weeks, things will begin to heat up again, on the guerrilla's terms.  Another example of learning. 9:35:34 AM    Comment_ Trackback []