Let's take a break from my normal routine of trying to save Japan from itself and make it the leader of Asia that it should be, and focus a bit on Iraq.
As some of you know, I used to run a website for
Chief Wiggles and was one of the founders of
Operation Give an ongoing charity. Because of both of these and other things, I've been a huge supporter of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as well a believer in the cause. I believe that Iraq will be a great nation one day. There are some incredible people there, working tirelessly to make Iraq and its people free and prosperous. Given support and time, they will win.
With that, let's look at some of the good stuff going on there thanks to
Winds of Change.
First,
Bill Roggio has some interesting stuff on the Iraq Army.
Nearly one year ago, the media questioned the "readiness" of the Iraqi Army and declared "few Iraqi battalions are operational." This stemmed from Multinational-Forces Iraq's attempts to establish metrics for the readiness of the Iraq military, and the media's lack of understanding of the meaning of these metrics.
The media focused on "Level 1" battalions, units which could operate with complete independence from Coalition forces, and ignored the significance of Level 2 & 3 Iraqi Army units. Level 2 & 3 battalions lack the organic logistical capabilities (Level 2) or required Coalition forces to operate alongside in combat (Level 3). Level 2 units gather their own intelligence, conduct their own planning and are deemed "in the lead" during combat operations. Both Level 2 & 3 units are in the fight against the insurgency.
Late last summer, 36 Iraqi Army combat battalions were rated as Level 2. Less than one year later, 75 battalions are rated as in the lead, according to Major General Rick Lynch. About 30% of the company-sized operations and above are independent Iraqi Army operations, and about 50% are conducted by combined Iraqi and Coalition units. During combined operations, the Iraqi Army conducts the search, while Coalition forces provide the outer security cordon.
Folks, this is some amazing stuff. They are organizing and rebuilding the army at an amazing rate. It's also important because we can't leave until that army is strong and sound. Bill has a lot more to say as well, just keep reading
here.
The Army released parts of some documents found showing the terrorists are trying to start a civil war in Iraq. Needless to say, the US Army is doing its best to let every Iraqi know just what scum the terrorists are and what they are trying to do to their country.
The U.S. military on Thursday revealed parts of a memo attributed to Al Qaeda in Iraq that outlines plans to ignite sectarian war by targeting Shiite Muslims and to shift the battle toward the capital and religiously mixed parts of the country.
The memo, which the military said was seized during a raid last month, ordered followers to "make the struggle entirely between Shiites and the mujahedin," as the militants refer to themselves, and lambasted moderate Sunni groups. It included a call for insurgents to "displace the Shiites and displace their shops and businesses from our areas. Expel those black market sellers of gas, bread or meat or anyone that is suspected of spying against us."
The memo, if authentic, provides some of the strongest evidence to date to support an accusation U.S. officials repeatedly have made — that Abu Musab Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, has been deliberately trying to exploit the country's simmering sectarian and ethnic tensions to spark a full-blown civil war.
You know, completely off the topic but still, I'm sick of them being called insurgents. They are terrorists, scum, toejam, etc. But giving them the neutral term of 'insurgent' is just annoying.
USAid is planning on turning over its projects to the Iraqi government in 2007.
USAid, one of the biggest development agencies operating in Iraq, plans to turn over the running of its reconstruction projects, funded to the tune of $5.1bn (€4bn, £2.7bn) since 2003, to the Iraqi government by the end of 2007, Dawn Liberi, the outgoing mission director, told the FT on Monday.
Way to go guys! The Iraqi government is starting to show its competence.
Iraq's oil exports hit a post war high!
Iraq's oil exports hit a postwar high of an average 1.619 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, Oil Minister Hashem Al Hashemi said.
Woooo!!!
Ah, the good news abounds!
I'm worried though. I'm worried at the loss of support the war has in the public. It shows what people around the world have been thinking of Americans. We are wishy washy. We lose our resolve when things get tough. This isn't the time to act like that. This is the time when I support should be growing. It doesn't matter whether you wanted the war or not, we have it, and with our troops there and in harms way, showing any weakness is just wrong. Yes, I know all the arguments from the other side. I've heard them time and time again. To me though, it comes down to what I just mentioned, troops are on the ground in harms way. Do I agree with everything we've done over there? Hell no. In fact, I probably disagree with more than I agree with. But overall, I support the war.
God Bless our Soldiers!