"Iraq's Military Is Losing The Battle For Anbar" Topic

"Ain al-Asad air base, the largest in Iraq's western province of Anbar, has been encircled by militants from Islamic State (IS). The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, the first Western journalist to make it to the facility since IS launched a nationwide offensive in June, found soldiers on the defensive as the militants close in.

At Ain al-Asad, soldiers and their armoured vehicles had departed. The camp was quiet, almost peaceful. But we were in fact in the eye of a storm.

On multiple fronts, troops were out fighting – and losing – battles with Islamic State (IS) militants.

We had come to see an offensive. Instead, we found a retreat…"
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Amicalement
Armand

And … I guess this comes as no surprise …

Not to me, and you, at least, Legion 4.

Those who don't read history, or consider its lessons, are doomed to repeat it.

The Iraqis have reached a new high in lows when it comes to soldiering …

Well, every leader in the Joint Chiefs warned this would happen if we pulled out the way we did.

Freaking Clown Car foreign policy.

Maliki insisted any SOFA for remaining forces would allow Iraqi souvereignty over U.S. troops, including the right to try them in Iraqi courts for alleged crimes. That was the previous administration's negotiations, not the current administration's.

And the US response to Maliki's demand that he have more control over US troops than any other nation is only repeatable as "Nuts!"

That's right, US soldiers overseas first have to answer to their own commanders. If the crime was particularly egregious, they might get turned over to the locals.