Iraq: For An Army of Its Own

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The ghost of Saddam Hussein still pervades Iraq and its people. US forces probably never thought that the capture of an erstwhile dictator was just the beginning; not the end of the cauldron that is Iraq. Each American footfall on Iraqi soil has been greeted with suicide bombers, car bombs and mortar attacks.

The targets are no longer Americans in uniform, but Iraqi officials and more unfortunately, ordinary civilians caught in a conflict not of their own making. As strident voices grow at home and abroad calling for America's withdrawal, it is also apparently clear that a Saigon style rapid exit would leave a vacuum which would push the region into a bloody no-holds-barred civil war. And the echoes will pulsate into the neighboring countries too. America has started a war which it cannot possibly end without the involvement of a stable Iraqi leadership and a strong professional military to prop it up. And this is probably the toughest policy challenge that George Bush's inheritor will face. Economic and military aid can only go so far.

The political process had started with parliamentary elections and a government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But Iraq is a fractious country which has been ruled by fear of the gun for most part of its recent history. In such an environment, a strong military that knows its job is vital for lasting stability.

America understands this better than most as its own body count increases, and therefore the training of the Iraqi military is the top most priority in its agenda. It is a realistic goal for Iraqi self sufficiency and American withdrawal. The American forces can leave with the belief that they have created something sustainable as they board their ships and planes for the journey home. But looking at the reports from the field in the midst the latest insurgency, American initiatives though commendable have still not yielded a professionally competent Iraqi army. The American administration has tom-tommed the performance of the Iraqi soldiers, but ground realities are giving a different picture.

"Iraqi forces are taking the lead."

Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll told journalists in Baghdad over reports over their performance in an offensive launched against the Mahdi Army militia of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

A TIME report however reflected the growing dissatisfaction of the American soldiers who have to bear the brunt of the attacks in the name of the Iraqi army. The soldier told TIME.

"A gunfight broke out and we were fighting [the Mahdi Army] for about four hours. The army article made it sound like we were just there supporting the Iraqi Army, but we did all the work. We just had four Humvees out there with some Iraqi troops."

Another incident during a routine patrol in the town of Mahmudiya — about 50 miles south of Baghdad, brings home the lacunae of professionalism in the new Iraqi soldier. An Iraqi platoon was expected to patrol the village but the entire platoon overslept. The American Colonel in overall charge covered up by saying,

” The army is very good at what they do. They just have a problem with sleeping in."

More pragmatic reports are downbeat. The readiness of many Iraqi units is low, regional and ethnic divisions are sharp, their loyalty and morale are questionable, their reported combat actions glorify their real effectiveness and desertions are rampant. Moreover, Iraqi commanders themselves revealed a lack of confidence in the troops under their command. General Ali, the commander of Iraqi forces in Mahmudiya told TIME,

” If you're talking about [U.S. forces withdrawing] tomorrow, I need more equipment. The Iraqi army needs more equipment to function on its own self. It needs time and support from both the Iraqi government and coalition forces."

With this belief comes an underlying dependence on Western forces. "I need [American forces] here until 2015," said Sheikh Amash Saray, the head of the Mahmudiyah local council. It is a bleak outlook for the thousands of young American soldiers stationed in a foreign land.

As the US pours in more money and men into the Iraqi reconstruction, insurgency is also steadily growing worse. Despite the heroic efforts of the men on the ground, it seems like a quagmire without the comfort of a bottom.