Iraq Army

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Iraqi Army Rescues British Journalist

Photographer had been held in Basra for two months

(Newser) - Iraqi troops rescued British photojournalist Richard Butler during a raid in Basra today, the Daily Telegraph reports. Storming a suburban house, soldiers found Butler with a hood over his head, but apparently unharmed. Butler had been working in Basra for CBS when he was abducted—by what were thought to...

Death of Sadr Aide Sparks Battles in Baghdad

Iraqi prez condemns attacks but meets al-Sadr MPs

(Newser) - The murder of a Moqtada al-Sadr aide triggered heavy fighting in Baghdad today after al-Sadr’s men attacked US and Iraqi forces, Reuters reports. The cleric blamed “the hand of the occupier” for the death of Riyadh al-Nuri, a close relative, and vowed not to forget “this precious...

Iraqi Forces Rescue 40 Kidnapped Students

Bus was grabbed at fake Mosul checkpoint

(Newser) - Iraqi police and soldiers have freed at least 40 students kidnapped by suspected members of Sunni Islamist al-Qaeda, Reuters reports. The young men had been seized by gunmen near Mosul in northern Iraq who set up a fake checkpoint and stopped two busloads of students returning to classes from a...

1,000 Iraqis Deserted Basra Battle

Officers and men fled or balked as government battled militias

(Newser) - Desertions from Iraqi forces during last week's Basra battles have raised fresh doubts about the effectiveness of the country's US-trained security forces, the New York Times reports. Over 1,000 soldiers and policemen—including dozens of officers—either deserted or refused to fight. The US has linked American troop withdrawals...

Iraqi Soldier Kills Two US Troops
Iraqi Soldier
Kills Two
US Troops

Iraqi Soldier Kills Two US Troops

He turned on them during joint patrol; 3 others wounded

(Newser) - An Iraqi insurgent who joined the country’s military force shot and killed two American troops, the BBC reports. Three other US soldiers were injured in the Dec. 26 shooting, which happened during a joint patrol in northern Iraq. After the patrol was besieged by gunmen, the Iraqi soldier “...

Iraqi Officers Going AWOL in America

About a dozen have skipped out while here for military training

(Newser) - Nearly a dozen Iraqi military and law-enforcement officials have fled specialized training programs in the US, the Washington Times reports. The men are either seeking asylum in this country or are still missing—leading a high-ranking congressman to warn of the national-security implications. An Army spokesman says none of the...

Bremer: Bush OK'd Disbanding of Iraqi Army

Peeved ex-envoy says prez isn’t truthful about what he knew

(Newser) - Paul Bremer has sent the New York Times letters demonstrating President Bush’s knowledge of the plan to disband the Iraqi Army—a rebuff to Bush's recent comments that he was surprised by the now-unpopular decision. As head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, Bremer wrote to Bush of the plan...

Iraqi Police Force Should Be 'Scrapped'

Infighting, corruption force recommendation that US 'start over'

(Newser) - Corruption and sectarian biases are so deeply entrenched in the Iraqi police ranks that the force's structure must be “scrapped,” an independent panel will report to Congress next week. The recommendation stems from an examination of the 26,000-member police force that concludes “we should start over,...

No Chemical Ali, But Saddam's Soldiers Wanted in Army Again

Iraqi forces desperate for skilled officers

(Newser) - The Iraqi Army and police need a few good men, and they’re more and more willing to look in Saddam’s old ledger. Many of the new forces’ problems are said to stem from the 2003 decision by the US to disband the standing army; now recruiters are trying...

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