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Iraqi troops still not ready for 'prime time'

Apr- 3-2005 » Filed Under: Iraq News

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By Monte Morin, Los Angeles Times

MOSUL, Iraq - Iraqi troops on patrol with U.S. forces had just captured and cuffed a sniper suspect in this northern city when a bomb hidden in a box of biscuits exploded under an Iraqi army pickup truck.

Screaming and shouting filled the air. Four soldiers were hurt. Then the insurgents opened fire.

Unable to escape the ambush, Iraqi troops began shooting wildly in all directions, including straight up. As the shooting continued, American soldiers and an Iraqi translator screamed at them to stop, but they ignored the calls. The barrels of the Iraqis' weapons glowed bright white with heat.

"I didn't think they had that much ammunition," a U.S. soldier said.

In the tense moments that followed, American troops shook their heads and rolled their eyes as they waited for the firing to end. "Wait until they stop shooting before we get out and pick up the wounded," a U.S. sergeant advised.

The U.S. military's hopes for saying farewell to Iraq are riding on home-grown troops who are so prone to firing in error or panic that they aren't allowed to set foot in American armored vehicles.

They remain woefully under-equipped and arrive at their combat missions in unshielded pickup trucks. Ethnic resentments divide the ranks of what should be cohesive units fused by comradeship and sacrifice.

Despite such shortcomings, U.S. soldiers say they are deeply impressed with the progress Iraqi troops have made. The U.S. credits Iraqi forces with helping to cut attacks by half since insurgents launched an offensive here in November as the U.S. confronted rebels to the south in Fallujah.

In a few months, U.S. commanders say, newly minted Iraqi army units, some of which include soldiers of former dictator Saddam Hussein's government, have come to excel at capturing insurgents. They are much more capable than U.S. forces at identifying guerrillas among the general population. They speak the language and are adept at securing residents' cooperation.

"They can do what we can't do as Americans," said Army Sgt. Domingo Ruiz, who often works alongside Iraqi special forces. "It's just like back home. I'm a Puerto Rican from New York. If some stranger came into my neighborhood and started asking for information, nobody would tell them anything."


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