Iraq's new police and army units, instead of taking responsibility for
imposing law and order, are abandoning patrols or taking refuge in
their guardhouses when challenged.

On the Syrian border, US troops in the Sunni city of Husaybah report
mass desertions.

An Iraqi unit that had once grown to 400 troops now numbers a few
dozen who are "holed up" inside a local phosphate plant.

Major John Reed, of the 2nd Marine Regiment, said:

"They will claim that they are ready to come back and fight but there
are no more than 30 of them on duty on any given day and they are
completely ineffective."

In Mosul, which has been a hotspot since insurgents fleeing Fallujah
effectively overran it last year, residents have complained to
newspapers that police now rarely patrol and only appear in response
to attacks.


From The Telegraph, 4/25/05:

Iraqi forces desert posts as insurgent attacks are stepped up

By Oliver Poole in Baghdad


Iraqi army and police units are deserting their posts after the recent
escalation in insurgent attacks, according to reports from around the
country yesterday.

The end of a relative period of calm after the election has posed the
first real test for the embryonic security forces since coalition
troops started cutting back on their military operations in February.

_______________________________________________________

Another day in the bottomless Bush-created quagmire.

Harry

Iraq's new police and army units, instead of taking responsibility for
imposing law and order, are abandoning patrols or taking refuge in
their guardhouses when challenged.

On the Syrian border, US troops in the Sunni city of Husaybah report
mass desertions.
An Iraqi unit that had once grown to 400 troops now numbers a few
dozen who are "holed up" inside a local phosphate plant.
Major John Reed, of the 2nd Marine Regiment, said:
"They will claim that they are ready to come back and fight but there
are no more than 30 of them on duty on any given day and they are
completely ineffective."
In Mosul, which has been a hotspot since insurgents fleeing Fallujah
effectively overran it last year, residents have complained to
newspapers that police now rarely patrol and only appear in response
to attacks.
From The Telegraph, 4/25/05:
http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/25/wirq25.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/04/25/ixnewstop.html
Iraqi forces desert posts as insurgent attacks are stepped up
By Oliver Poole in Baghdad
Iraqi army and police units are deserting their posts after the recent
escalation in insurgent attacks, according to reports from around the
country yesterday.
The end of a relative period of calm after the election has posed the
first real test for the embryonic security forces since coalition
troops started cutting back on their military operations in February.
_______________________________________________________
Another day in the bottomless Bush-created quagmire.
Harry