America has the awesomest allies.
He was not deserting his men, the Iraqi Army captain insisted Wednesday. He had left his 70 soldiers in the midst of a battle in Sadr City the day before to take his long-overdue three-day break.
The captain, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said he intended to extend the break to five days, maybe longer. He had not been paid in two months and was overwhelmed by the problems of commanding his company, part of the 1st Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division. He was considering not going back to the fight in Sadr City.
At least they can dance.
John Cole
That video never gets old.
Anonymous Jim
Hosham Hussein contributed reporting.
Who knew Barack Obama had relatives reporting for the times. I wonder if the captain is from one of the divisions/brigades that the Administration counts among the “ready”.
Anonymous Jim
Hosham Hussein contributed reporting.
Who knew Barack Obama had relatives reporting for the times. I wonder if the captain is from one of the divisions/brigades that the Administration counts among the “ready”.
Zifnab
What if war was declared and nobody showed?
SpotWeld
Doesn’t matter, someone would still supply the pictures.
Fledermaus
Two months? I’d take an extended vacation if my check was two weeks late, let alone two months. What a clusterfuck
nightjar
Deserting hell. They was just attacking from a different direction.
Dennis - SGMM
I seem to remember another small country where we tried to impose our agenda on people who’d spent decades with their own agendas pent up by colonialists and autocrats. Success for our “allies” there came to mean “None of them turned their guns on us and all of them didn’t run away.”
Everything old is new again.
Gerald Curl
It was the classic Brown Pants Maneuver. You crap your drawers and flee. The enemies following you will be overcome by the stench — at which time you can poke them with a pointed stick.
nightjar
That’s his day job. He’s gets cold cash for planting IED’s at night.
frogspawn
Double clusterfuck.
Face
PoTD.
Tsulagi
No big deal here. The IA captain simply went on leave. That he chose when that leave began and when it will end is one of the many perks in today’s Iraqi Army. Here, a Marine LtCol transition team chief speaks of a few…
Those byproducts of success just keep piling up in Iraq.
MJ
John you must know of some better sources then the NYT to tell you what is going on with Basra. I bet their reporter never leaves the green zone.
Keith
I hate them for their freedoms.
nightjar
I’m so relieved the Iraq’s are finally getting a handle on this serious problem. Maybe now we can bring the troops home.
horatius
POTFD. Bwaaaaaahahahahahahaha
The Grand Panjandrum
Ha! I hadn’t heard that little nugget in a while.
Sounds like out troops enlisted in the wrong country’s military.
DougL
Nobody could have predicted that not getting paid for over two months would make people less than enthusiastic about going into battle.
maxbaer (not the original)
Who trained them? Malkin? It looks like her cheerleading video.
JWW
Tim,
I raised my hand and waited for you to call on me. So what’s your point? Our Senate and Congress very seldom ever allow their break to be interupted by any business no matter how important. The video you decided to attatch is at least a few years old. I know you can do better.
p.a.
If only…
Anyone knowledgeable about colonial wars and the psychological features of the natives who fought for the colonial powers? I understand how native elites could be co-opted (or replaced by elites chosen and funded by the occupiers), but what about the grunts? What makes one put one’s life on the line for an occupier? Was it simply a matter of earning $$$ to live on? Chance for a rise in status? I assume there was a lot of playing off ethnic/religious/class differences. What went into making an effective fighting force of native people for colonialists? Or were examples of this few and far between?
MarkusB
Seconded |-)
merl
They’re enforcing seat belt laws?
maxbaer (not the original)
He’s no Tully Bascomb.