Author Topic: Top general warns that half of the Iraqi army is incapable of fighting ISIS  (Read 371 times)

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Offline EC

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The United States' top military general said Wednesday that half of the Iraqi army is incapable of putting their sectarian differences aside to fight off the Islamic State.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters travelling with him on a trip to Paris that 24 of the Iraqi army's 50 brigades were too heavily comprised of Shiites to effectively work together with other religious sects to combat ISIS.

U.S. military assessors who spent the summer in Iraq found that the other 26 brigades could partner with the U.S., but they would need additional training and equipment, Dempsey said, according to the Associated Press.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, pictured here testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, told reporters traveling with him to Paris on Wednesday that half of the Iraqi army won't fight ISIS
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, pictured here testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, told reporters traveling with him to Paris on Wednesday that half of the Iraqi army won't fight ISIS

Dempsey's admission to reporters today follows testimony he gave to a Senate committee on Tuesday indicating that he would consider advising the president to put boots on the ground in Iraq if the United States' strategy to form a broad international coalition against ISIS fails to ward off ISIS.

President Barack Obama has unequivocally ruled out ground troops in Iraq in numerous public statements, but Dempsey revealed to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that the president told him privately 'to come back to him on a case-by-case basis.'

Dempsey told the senators that U.S. forces could engage in 'close combat advising' if the circumstances called for it.

While making it clear he was speaking hypothetically, Dempsey suggested that American troops could find themselves 'accompanying' Iraqi troops on a mission to retake the city of Mosul, for example.

The general's affirmation that the president may have to send U.S. troops on a combat mission after all was panned as an about-face by the White House and the first step towards the 'mission creep' that dovish Democrats had been nervous about all along.

The White House rushed to reiterate that Dempsey was not foreshadowing military action and was merely explaining how he would advise the president in a hypothetical scenario.

But on Wednesday Dempsey again alluded to boots on the ground while speaking with reporters about the situation in Iraq.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2759317/Top-general-warns-half-Iraqi-army-incapable-fighting-ISIS.html

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Offline flowers

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Re: Top general warns that half of the Iraqi army is incapable of fighting ISIS
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2014, 03:08:08 pm »
Which Iraqi army is this? the one that were pals  of maliki and ran off and basically gave isis all their new usa made vehicles and hardware?


Offline alicewonders

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Re: Top general warns that half of the Iraqi army is incapable of fighting ISIS
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2014, 03:16:57 pm »
I see no good outcome from us arming any Islamic group to "fight for us", with the exception of the Kurds and a few other small groups.  Ultimately, their loyalties are to Allah.  It will not help us, and will only arm them better. 

This is a big giant clusterf**k brought to you by our friends - the Muslim Brotherhood  and Obama & Co.  This can easily erupt into WWIII at any time now.  We really need the archangel's help with this one.   :beer:

 
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Offline EC

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Re: Top general warns that half of the Iraqi army is incapable of fighting ISIS
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2014, 03:22:15 pm »
He's doing his best. Your namesake is both repaired and keeping rather busy.  :beer:

His Holiness did say that we are fighting WW3 right now, just not all in one place.
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Offline alicewonders

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Re: Top general warns that half of the Iraqi army is incapable of fighting ISIS
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2014, 03:38:55 pm »
He's doing his best. Your namesake is both repaired and keeping rather busy.  :beer:

His Holiness did say that we are fighting WW3 right now, just not all in one place.

I'm sure glad to hear that! 

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Oh, and the Pope is right!

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