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You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / War / While We’re Talking About Basra

While We’re Talking About Basra

by Tim F|  April 17, 20083:03 pm| 25 Comments

This post is in: War, General Stupidity

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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.

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Reader Interactions

25Comments

  1. 1.

    John Cole

    April 17, 2008 at 3:08 pm

    That video never gets old.

  2. 2.

    Anonymous Jim

    April 17, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    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”.

  3. 3.

    Anonymous Jim

    April 17, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    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”.

  4. 4.

    Zifnab

    April 17, 2008 at 3:22 pm

    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.

    What if war was declared and nobody showed?

  5. 5.

    SpotWeld

    April 17, 2008 at 3:24 pm

    What if war was declared and nobody showed?

    Doesn’t matter, someone would still supply the pictures.

  6. 6.

    Fledermaus

    April 17, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    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.

    Two months? I’d take an extended vacation if my check was two weeks late, let alone two months. What a clusterfuck

  7. 7.

    nightjar

    April 17, 2008 at 3:30 pm

    Deserting hell. They was just attacking from a different direction.

  8. 8.

    Dennis - SGMM

    April 17, 2008 at 3:31 pm

    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.

  9. 9.

    Gerald Curl

    April 17, 2008 at 3:46 pm

    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.

  10. 10.

    nightjar

    April 17, 2008 at 3:50 pm

    Two months? I’d take an extended vacation if my check was two weeks late, let alone two months. What a clusterfuck

    That’s his day job. He’s gets cold cash for planting IED’s at night.

  11. 11.

    frogspawn

    April 17, 2008 at 4:02 pm

    Two months? I’d take an extended vacation if my check was two weeks late, let alone two months. What a clusterfuck

    That’s his day job. He’s gets cold cash for planting IED’s at night.

    Double clusterfuck.

  12. 12.

    Face

    April 17, 2008 at 4:16 pm

    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.

    PoTD.

  13. 13.

    Tsulagi

    April 17, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    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…

    Iraqi soldiers here are on duty 30 days and then have 10 days of leave. They go home, they bring the money they have earned back to their families, and they decompress. But in many cases, they do not come back to the unit at the end of the leave. And there is no penalty for not coming back.

    The Iraqis do not sign an enlistment contract. They do not swear to support and defend the constitution. If they feel they have done enough, or if their families are threatened by insurgents for their continued service in the army, then they simply stay home, Branigan explained.

    Those byproducts of success just keep piling up in Iraq.

  14. 14.

    MJ

    April 17, 2008 at 4:42 pm

    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.

  15. 15.

    Keith

    April 17, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    If they feel they have done enough, or if their families are threatened by insurgents for their continued service in the army, then they simply stay home

    I hate them for their freedoms.

  16. 16.

    nightjar

    April 17, 2008 at 5:06 pm

    I’m so relieved the Iraq’s are finally getting a handle on this serious problem. Maybe now we can bring the troops home.

  17. 17.

    horatius

    April 17, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    Keith Says:

    If they feel they have done enough, or if their families are threatened by insurgents for their continued service in the army, then they simply stay home

    I hate them for their freedoms.
    April 17th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    POTFD. Bwaaaaaahahahahahahaha

  18. 18.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    April 17, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    “None of them turned their guns on us and all of them didn’t run away.”

    Ha! I hadn’t heard that little nugget in a while.

    Those byproducts of success just keep piling up in Iraq.

    Sounds like out troops enlisted in the wrong country’s military.

  19. 19.

    DougL

    April 17, 2008 at 5:44 pm

    Nobody could have predicted that not getting paid for over two months would make people less than enthusiastic about going into battle.

  20. 20.

    maxbaer (not the original)

    April 17, 2008 at 6:24 pm

    That video never gets old.

    Who trained them? Malkin? It looks like her cheerleading video.

  21. 21.

    JWW

    April 17, 2008 at 7:08 pm

    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.

  22. 22.

    p.a.

    April 17, 2008 at 9:28 pm

    Zifnab Says:

    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.

    What if war was declared and nobody showed?

    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?

  23. 23.

    MarkusB

    April 18, 2008 at 4:19 am

    horatius Says:

    Keith Says:

    If they feel they have done enough, or if their families are threatened by insurgents for their continued service in the army, then they simply stay home

    I hate them for their freedoms.
    April 17th, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    POTFD. Bwaaaaaahahahahahahaha
    April 17th, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    Seconded |-)

  24. 24.

    merl

    April 18, 2008 at 5:57 am

    They’re enforcing seat belt laws?

  25. 25.

    maxbaer (not the original)

    April 18, 2008 at 5:57 am

    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.

    He’s no Tully Bascomb.

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