New Iraqi Army - 40,000 strong - Deployment Begins Next Month

[syzygy]

ny times link

the reconstituted iraqi army will be only a 10th of its ba'ath size, but quality over quantity will be the defining feature
of these troops. morale should skyrocket. the favoritism, discrimination, and sectarian politics that saddam and his cohorts
enforced will not be tolerated anymore. ba'ath officials are banned from consideration.

unfortunately, early plans do not envision these forces being deployed against the iraqi criminal elements
that are sabotaging critical infrastructures and committing tmass murder and other acts of their usual mayhem.

first class of 800 will finish training next month. cost is expected at 2 billion.

 

[Witling]

A more complete article from the International Herald Tribune confirming the first entry in this thread but also pointing out that there have been considerable changes in U.S. policy with regard to reconstituting this army. The reason is that the U.S. need an Iraqi army to interface with the Iraqi population. Original plans were to raise an army in two years. That's down to one year and we won't look too hard at who we take in.

http://www.iht.com/articles/110409.html

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Whitling
A more complete article from the International Herald Tribune confirming the first entry in this thread but also pointing out that there have been considerable changes in U.S. policy with regard to reconstituting this army. The reason is that the U.S. need an Iraqi army to interface with the Iraqi population. Original plans were to raise an army in two years. That's down to one year and we won't look too hard at who we take in.

http://www.iht.com/articles/110409.html[/q

If you read the article you posted, they have the pay records from the old Iraqi army. They know who is who already.

 

[syzygy]

If you read the article you posted, they have the pay records from the old Iraqi army. They know who is who already

the ny times enjoyed an exclusive on this issue. their original report was referenced by other news services the world over.
you can check slocumb's quotes to verify. as for the oversight above, here are the rebuttals from the same ny times article:

Each recruit, he said, will be interviewed extensively. Pentagon officials said the American military and intelligence agencies
had compiled a list of those barred from service.

To prevent any return by senior officers, the names of recruits will be compared with a manifest of the former military. "We
have the pay records of the old Iraqi Army," Mr. Slocombe said during a Pentagon news briefing.