Bill Ardolino’s view as a imbedded blogger;
A fifth stop was another dry hole, but occupants told the Jundi that the house of the man they were looking for was a block away, so the soldiers immediately splashed down a sewage-filled side street on foot, leaving the cordon, the convoy and its crew-served heavy weapons behind. We chased them down the darkened alley, Lt. Kim struggling to communicate with the IA’s about their ad hoc plan of action. The move was poorly planned but ultimately successful, as the suspect was quickly apprehended, blindfolded and led from the newly targeted house with no shots fired.
This chaotic initiative highlights one of the strengths and weaknesses of the fledgling Iraqi security forces in Fallujah, particularly the Iraqi Army. Their aggression bordering on recklessness signals problems with command and control: planning, coordinated execution and battlefield communication. The marines think that this proclivity signals a need for more training, as well as results from cultural differences – one American remarked that “when your entire life has been spent fearing death, your concept of planning and self-preservation is a bit different.”
“Insh’allah,” as they say: “if God wills it.”
When you’re finished, consider emailing the link to a friend. h/t Instapundit, who also has an interview with Michael Yon and more (scroll down).
I have a good friend that spent lots of time in Yemen and thats what he also said about the people’s attitude there,insh’allah,if God wills it.
Well, its shows they’ve got guts, but to misquote R Lee Emory, is guts enough? Probably not, but without the guts, there’s nothing worth training – as it is, there is hope but also a lot more work to do.
Let’s see: No blood, no body count,no dead Americans, not a Democrat in site… not MSM newsworthy. Besides, its Happy Hour at the Green Zone Media Bar.
The media lately has given me a permanent case of acid reflux. Saw a CNN show with that Wolf Blitzer and the number of times he used adjectives like gruesome, tradgic and utter as in failure and disaster, you’d be thinking he was describing the Hindenburg and not the planned military surge.
Wolf Blitzer, the quintessential media slob, the hardest decision in his journo life has been which wine matches the entree at lunch.
All I’ve been hearing from the MSM is that Iraqui soldiers are not up to the job. That they slink behind and leave the US soldiers to take the risks.