Iraqi soldiers not nearly as ready as US says
The plan was simple: Iraqi troops would block escape routes while U.S. soldiers searched for weapons house-by-house. But the Iraqi troops didn't show up on time.
When they finally did appear, the Iraqis ignored U.S. orders and let dozens of cars pass through checkpoints in eastern Baghdad \ufffd including an ambulance full of armed militiamen, American soldiers said in recent interviews.
It wasn't an isolated incident, they added.
Senior U.S. commanders have hailed the performance of Iraqi troops in the crackdown on militias and insurgents in Baghdad. But some U.S. soldiers say the Iraqis serving alongside them are among the worst they've ever seen \ufffd seeming more loyal to militias than the government.
While the administration and the top level military brass talk up the Iraqi army, those that have to work with it think it's mostly useless. This is in the southern half of Iraq, those that have worked with the Kurds in the northern half say the Kurds are better.
Jay