al-Maliki says US didn't give him good enough guns

[Manedwolf]

Well! That's nice, that he's demanding that we the US taxpayers give him more weapons that we're not allowed to have, ourselves.

I certainly pay enough in taxes per year to buy some nice toys, I'd like some myself! Where do I demand this as he has?

Iraqi leader wants more and better US equipment

ROME Iraq's prime minister is blaming the security crisis in his country on the Americans.
Nouri al-Maliki says Iraqi forces would have had better control over their country if the US had equipped them with better weapons and more of them. In an interview published today in Italy, the Iraqi chief stops short of criticizing President Bush's plan to send in more than 21-thousand additional troops. But he says things would be a lot better if the US had properly supplied his forces from the start. He says there would have been a lot fewer Iraqi and US deaths.

But al-Maliki also holds out hope that the situation in Iraq "will drastically improve" because of the US buildup, clearing the way for American troops to start leaving "in three to six months."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

 

[JohnL2]

I am sorry to say it, but this venture will go down in history as one of those big follies.
The Bush administration is in a dangerous situation of "Do you believe what you see, or are you seeing what you believe?".
Tony Snow is a good guy but someday I expect him to break down and do what Kevin Bacon's character did at the end of the movie "Animal House"; "ALL IS WELL!!!".
Seriously though, the U.S. troops did their job. They continue to do their job. The Iraqis just aren't stepping up and seizing it.
Maliki just drips with the air of "ineffective figurehead". He is no leader.

 

[LAR-15]

Things in Iraq are much better than people claim.

The problem is our troops have their hands tied in going after the trouble makers.

It's one group of Muslims killing another.

But parts of Iraq are very peaceful.

Just some are not and most of the country is being rebuilt.

It's not all bad as the NY times claims.

And the Iraqis got Glocks and AKs, good weapons. Plus I believe they are using equipment left over from the previous Iraq army.

 

[Manedwolf]

But parts of Iraq are very peaceful.

What parts were peaceful when you were there? Just curious.

And the Iraqis got Glocks and AKs, good weapons.

And they're ending up for sale in bazaars.

Yet from what I've read, Maliki is p*ssy because they didn't get M-16's and Berettas.

 

[tank mechanic]

The whole northern portion of Iraq, Kurdistan, is prospering and very little insurgent problems. Talk to an Iraqi and they all want to move up north or have their home town be as quiet as it is in the kurdish regions.

 

[Lupinus]

heres a thought get your forces going kick them in the arse and kill the guys blowing stuff up that we just payed the bill on m'k?

Maybe if so much money didn't go to rebuilding something three times cause it keeps getting blown the freak up buy guys who are still running around more money might be there for weapons. And he is well armed, he wants top of the line though his country needs to foot the bill themselves.

 

[longeyes]

Maybe if the local population would use their cellphones and turn in the torublemakers the problem would start resolving itself?

Or maybe those troublemakers either have them utterly cowed or are their friends and allies?