Calling the Iraqi Army for what it is?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 May 2015 10:59:43 -0400

I have a new found respect for SecDef Ash Carter. I think he is the only admitting that the Iraqi Army have "No will to fight." I don't see this being said anywhere else. We are trying to find the good but in the meanwhile ISIS is making huge gains. After Tikrit, everyone had hope for the Iraqi Army. But truth be told it really wasn't the Iraqi Army that won there. It was Iraqi militias. Even then they failed to do it on their own and relied on US airstrikes. We will finally force us to rethink our strategy?

Response by PO1 John Miller made May 24 at 2015 11:30 AM

PO1 John Miller — Sun, 24 May 2015 11:30:43 -0400

This just confirms what I've thought all along. The Iraqi Army and Police are cowards. They lived under oppression for so long that they have no sense of freedom or how to achieve/maintain it on their own.

I personally think we should write Iraq off, but that's not the American (US government) way. This in no way demeans what the US military did for those people. We gave them every opportunity but they failed.

Response by MSgt Robert Pellam made May 24 at 2015 12:12 PM

MSgt Robert Pellam — Sun, 24 May 2015 12:12:59 -0400

I agree this seems to show a lack of will for the Iraqi Army. Even after American training and American hardware they don't possess the will to fight nor do they want to. I could speculate why, but since I don't honestly know the climate, reason, emotional ties, I will pass by. What I do think we need to do is support a Kurdistan state. Let them take what they can and start building them up. They show no lack of will, nor courage when fighting ISIS. Maybe if we can get a stable Kurd state, they can work with the other countries and start to bring stability back to the region.

Just a Theory though.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2015 1:18 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 May 2015 13:18:39 -0400

It takes a lot to train an Army, to maintain an Army, and to give it the will to fight. The Iraq Soldier is part of a very different culture, ISIS on the other hand has the will to fight and the motivation is if they die as Martyrs they will receive the gift of Paradise as well as they consider it to be Allah's will to murder any one they see as Kafar including other Muslims. The Iraq Soldiers know they will be given no trial, no justice, if they are captured, they will be decapitated. Its easy for us to judge because we come from a culture with cultural values respecting human rights as well as defending our rights and constitution. What the Iraq Soldiers need is a will, the will to defend themselves, the will to fight. The Peshmerga have the will, they fight for survival. The question is how do we influence their will...I recommend weeding out the Soldiers who do not have the drive and recruiting those Soldiers who want to defend and have the will to fight; unfortunately Iraq is a Sovereign Nation and not subject to our standards.

Response by 1LT William Clardy made May 24 at 2015 3:39 PM

1LT William Clardy — Sun, 24 May 2015 15:39:38 -0400

An army's "will to fight" comes from effective leadership, something which our army seems to have no surplus of at the most senior levels and therefore were unable to impart it to the Iraqi Army.

But the most damning sentence in the article is the final one: "Carter did not discuss any new U.S. tactics in the fight against Islamic State group."

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2015 5:09 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:09:32 -0400

You can't fix Iraqi Army. The conflict is a not a military problem. It is political in nature and giving them more firepower will not solve the advance of ISIS.

Response by SPC Charles Brown made May 24 at 2015 5:32 PM

SPC Charles Brown — Sun, 24 May 2015 17:32:19 -0400

If we are going to call it what it is then lets start with a disorganized farce with grabasstic tendencies and piss poor leadership.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jun 11 at 2015 1:58 AM

PO1 John Miller — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 01:58:58 -0400

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jun 11 at 2015 2:02 AM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 02:02:34 -0400

Is the Iraqi Army still an Army?

Response by SGT William Howell made Jun 11 at 2015 7:38 AM

SGT William Howell — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:38:29 -0400

So Iraqi wants the evil oppressors out. We leave....now they want us and our money back. I say screw them.

They have no will to fight, they have no honor, and they have no recognition that they are actually Iraqis. They see themselves as Shia or Sunnis...this clan or that clan, but none see themselves as Iraqis. They will not fight for what they do not identify with or believe in.