US Airforce in disposal of Iraqi commanders?

[khukuri]

S may use planes as substitute for troops in Iraq

Jamie Wilson in Washington
Monday November 28, 2005
The Guardian

The Bush administration is considering a plan to put America's awesome airpower at the disposal of Iraqi commanders, as a way of reducing the number of US troops on the ground. The plan is causing consternation among commanders in US air force, who say it could lead to increased civilian casualties and lead to airstrikes being used as means of settling old scores.

According to an article in the New Yorker magazine by Seymour Hersh, the possibility of using airpower as a substitute for American troops on the ground has caused unease in the military, with air force commanders objecting to the possibility that Iraqis will eventually be responsible for target selection.

"Will the Iraqis call in air strikes in order to snuff rivals, or other warlords, or to snuff members of your own sect and blame it on someone else?" a senior military planner told the magazine. "Will some Iraqis be targeting on behalf of al-Qaida, or the insurgency, or the Iranians?"

With the White House under increasing pressure over its handling of the war in Iraq, senior administration figures are for the first time signalling the possibility of significant troop reductions. In a departure from previous statements the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said last week that the training of Iraqi soldiers had advanced so far that the current number of US troops in the country probably would not be needed much longer.


more here


http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1652244,00.html

[C3F]

S may use planes as substitute for troops in Iraq

Jamie Wilson in Washington
Monday November 28, 2005
The Guardian

The Bush administration is considering a plan to put America's awesome airpower at the disposal of Iraqi commanders, as a way of reducing the number of US troops on the ground. The plan is causing consternation among commanders in US air force, who say it could lead to increased civilian casualties and lead to airstrikes being used as means of settling old scores.

According to an article in the New Yorker magazine by Seymour Hersh, the possibility of using airpower as a substitute for American troops on the ground has caused unease in the military, with air force commanders objecting to the possibility that Iraqis will eventually be responsible for target selection.

"Will the Iraqis call in air strikes in order to snuff rivals, or other warlords, or to snuff members of your own sect and blame it on someone else?" a senior military planner told the magazine. "Will some Iraqis be targeting on behalf of al-Qaida, or the insurgency, or the Iranians?"

With the White House under increasing pressure over its handling of the war in Iraq, senior administration figures are for the first time signalling the possibility of significant troop reductions. In a departure from previous statements the secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said last week that the training of Iraqi soldiers had advanced so far that the current number of US troops in the country probably would not be needed much longer.


more here


http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1652244,00.html


Please!!! Ignore this like a one night stand you shouldn't have done, but did anyway cuz the BEER goggles were on, and now she keeps calling everyday!

Where do these guys get their imagination? It's like reporters at the Superbowl. They have WAY too much time on their hands so they look for stuff that doesn't exist or they CREATE stuff that doesn't exist. "Sources tell us" or "it's believed" or my favorite, "Some say".

[SPQR]

If this article were true, an easy solution would be to have an American FAC attached to the Iraqi unit and ultimately incharge of any air strike order.

[NewsMan]

If this article were true, an easy solution would be to have an American FAC attached to the Iraqi unit and ultimately incharge of any air strike order.

That's one option under consideration in Afghanistan (from some things I've been told).