There may be some issues with getting the Iraqi military and police forces trained, but, couldn't tell from this story (from Defend America)
Members of the Albu Obaid Iraqi Police station discovered one of the largest weapons cache in the last year while conducting dismounted patrols in eastern Ramadi, Feb. 3.
The cache consisted of over 300 82mm mortar rounds, three 152mm artillery rounds, two bags of homemade explosives, two Katyusha 107mm rockets, in addition to other items which included a mortar base plate, a spool of copper wire used for detonating improvised explosive devices and various smaller caliber ammunition.
“The Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces have discovered many weapons caches over the last six months, but none of this magnitude," said Army Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. “This represents about a six-month supply of enemy mortar ammunition. The recent additions to the local Iraqi Security Forces have proven to be a tremendous asset in the fight against the terrorists in and around Ramadi.”
“I’ve been on multiple patrols and seen a lot of stuff, but the thing that excites me the most about this is that the Iraqis are stepping up to the plate on their own. I mean, we found over 60 caches last month of which 35 were found by the Iraqi Security Forces. This is the kind of thing that is going to get me home,” said Spc. Stephen Steed, who is responsible for mentoring Iraqi policemen.
Kudo's to all involved. You know, it is not easy to change an entire culture, which was dominated by brutality and terror, to put it mildly, in the military and police forces. Nor one which is not heavy on discipline or esprit' de corp. Consider if some country invaded the USA and was trying to change the Democratic culture to repudiate abortion on demand. That would be long, hard work.
Who can forget that just after Saddam’s statue was torn down in Baghdad, the infamous discoveries and pictures of mass graves in Iraq that resulted from the Butcher of Baghdad’s henchmen and brutality. Also, I vividly remember two Russian MIG-29 Fulcrums that were found BURIED in the Sands of Babylon. The UN crony diplomats and Saddam pocketed the Oil For Food Money. Get a shiite load of metal detectors ready for beneath the Sands of Babylon are MORE weapons, and among them chemical wmd’s – not a doubt in my mind. Patience is a virtue.
The surge should start cresting very soon….Surge Up!