Friday, December 21, 2007

The structure beneath the skin

DJ Elliot continues to follow the expansion of the Iraqi Army at the Long War Journal. The latest information suggests it is being expanded to 16 divisions. Unspectacular developments like this tend to be underreported, but they are very important in the long run. The expansion is one thing, but so are the reductions.



The purge of the MoI continues with the forced retirements of 40 Lieutenant Colonels and above with 30 Brigadier Generals fired or forced to retire for corruption or involvement with militias. Thousands of enlisted have been arrested or fired. ...

There is an ongoing redeployment initiative of INP shifting them from current deployment locations in Baghdad, Samarrah and Basrah to other areas. Over time, as the INP is no longer needed in Baghdad, it will be "regionalized" and re-based.

Not only are the Iraqi security forces being expanded, they are also being reshaped.

4 Comments:

Blogger Richard Heddleson said...

Over time, as the INP is no longer needed in Baghdad, it will be "regionalized" and re-based.

To Basra?

The Iranians have to watch this with a certain discomfort.

Who's in a more difficult position; the superpower facing an antagonistic regional wannabe possessing nukes but no intercontinental delivery system, or the regional wannabe facing an antagonistic neighbor possessing an army trained, equipped and intelligenced by a superpower?

12/21/2007 03:34:00 PM  
Blogger amr said...

From the few reports I have read, the Iraqi military is producing a NCO corps similar to ours. If so, they will be the backbone of their military and they will make their military a potent force in-country and in the region. The almost cultural break between the fighters and the leaders has been a problem for the Arabs in modern times.

12/21/2007 05:59:00 PM  
Blogger watimebeing said...

What is also heartening is the real integration of the forces. If they have one another's back as well as the constitution's, no cleric or strongman can claim extra constitution powers.

12/21/2007 09:36:00 PM  
Blogger Brian H said...

Yeah, the MoI is the secret key to the whole shebang. It is the most dangerous source of sectarianism in the ISF (not that the IA doesn't need to be watched and managed carefully) since it is in routine contact with the populace, and is responsible for so many group intersection points.

It occurs to me to wonder what these fired high-level officers will find as a follow-up profession. They should have GPS trackers implanted permanently into their pointy skulls, IMO. ;)

12/22/2007 09:20:00 AM  

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