GROUND EYE VIEW
 |
James Joyner | Sunday, December 7, 2003 |
Vernon Loeb’s e-mail discussions with commanders in Iraq on how to measure victory is yet further evidence of my observation that one gets better answers from those in the middle than those who can see the top but aren’t quite there.
Perhaps the best insight was from LTC Henry Arnold, commander of the 2-187th INF:
The second piece to “turning the corner” is putting Iraqis in charge of security. We have been too slow in getting the local police and border guards funded and equipped to effectively and confidently do their job out here. . . . We can’t just give [the police] a modicum of training, a uniform, and a weapon and think they will effectively and confidently accomplish the tasks we desire. I would certainly think my chain of command was nuts if it expected me to conduct combat operations on the Syrian border without the ability to communicate or have sufficient transportation to reinforce, or evacuate casualties. Why should we expect anything different of the Iraqis?
Indeed.
(Hat tip: Andrew Olmsted)
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
Follow James on FriendFeed | Twitter | Digg
Related Stories:
- None Found
Recent Stories:
Comments
Comments are Closed
