After a week in which some thirty U.S. soldiers died in Iraq, at a time when resistance fighters lob mortar shells into the U.S. compound with impunity, questions about security remain the number one concern for American commanders in Baghdad.
Six months after the war, it’s clear that U.S. military tactics have been insufficient to restrain these attackers, so now the Pentagon and civilian administrators are considering a major reversal of policy. They’re now talking about enlisting senior officers and soldiers of the old Iraqi Army. The Americans say they need to tap into homegrown military intelligence, and the ability of Iraqi officers to lead Iraqi soldiers. But are these men who were once sworn to kill Americans, really ready to serve under the stars and stripes?
Guests:
Brigadier General Doctor Tariq Jasmin Al-Ani
Admiral Raad Fadel, Colonel Hashim Hassan Al
Ken Allard, retired army colonel, military analyst at Georgetown University, and author of forthcoming book, Business as War.