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McClatchy: Corruption, incompetence plague Iraqi forces, reporter finds

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Pirate Smile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-08-07 11:19 PM
Original message
McClatchy: Corruption, incompetence plague Iraqi forces, reporter finds
Corruption, incompetence plague Iraqi forces, reporter finds

By Tom Lasseter
McClatchy Newspapers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Many of the Iraqi forces whom the U.S. is counting on to defeat Sunni Muslim insurgents, disarm Shiite Muslim gunmen and assume responsibility for keeping the peace have been infiltrated by sectarian militias and are plagued by incompetence and corruption.

Two weeks with American units that patrolled with Iraqi forces in west and east Baghdad found that Iraqi officers sold new uniforms meant for their troops, and that their soldiers wore plastic shower sandals while manning checkpoints, abused prisoners and solicited bribes to free suspects they'd captured.

-snip-


An Iraqi soldier stands guard as Iraqi and U.S. soldiers search a building for a gunman in Baghdad, Iraq. U.S officials say that the plan to subdue the violence in Baghdad depends heavily on the competence and discipline of the Iraqi army forces. (Tom Lasseter/MCT)

The shortcomings that Oliver and other U.S. soldiers observed in the Iraqi troops are at the heart of America's dilemma in Iraq. If the country's police officers and soldiers aren't able to secure the capital, a U.S. withdrawal almost certainly would mean even more widespread carnage. Continuing to prop up the Iraqi forces, however, almost certainly would lead to more American casualties, but not necessarily to victory.

-snip-
"If we don't give them some kind of lead in this, we will be here forever," said U.S. Staff Sgt. Erik Helton, who patrols in east Baghdad with the 1st Infantry Division. "But half the Iraqi army is either sympathetic to (sectarian militias) or are actual members."

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/16655490.htm
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robinlynne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-08-07 11:23 PM
Response to Original message
1. This is the second good post today citing mcclatchy. Who or what is mcClatchy?
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Pirate Smile Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-08-07 11:26 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. McClatchy used to be Knight Ridder. They are a newspaper service.
Edited on Thu Feb-08-07 11:30 PM by Pirate Smile
They are excellent. They are mainstream media. They own a bunch of newspapers. Their articles are frequently syndicated in newspapers all around the country. Instead of AP or Reuters, the byline would say McClatchy.

I posted the other McClatchy article too. :)

edit to add - "Knight Ridder (IPA: <ˈɹɪdɚ>) was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by The McClatchy Company on June 27, 2006, it was the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspapers."

P.S. good question.

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pinto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-08-07 11:28 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. Agree, they're a fine news service syndicate.
Edited on Thu Feb-08-07 11:33 PM by pinto
It's the other way around, though. McClatchy has existed independently for years, recently bought Knight-Ridder:


Overview

The McClatchy Company dates to the California Gold Rush era of 1857, when James McClatchy was the founding editor of its first newspaper, The Sacramento Bee – one of the oldest newspapers in the West. Coverage of California’s Central Valley expanded with the founding of The Fresno Bee in 1922 and the purchase of The Modesto Bee in 1927.
For more than a century, California was the cornerstone of the company. In 1979, McClatchy expanded into the Northwest with the purchase of the Anchorage Daily News and the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, Wash. In 1986, The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., was added to McClatchy’s growing family of newspapers.

The company went public in February 1988 and its Class A common shares are listed on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MNI. The company’s Class B common stock, which controls a majority of shareholder voting power, is not publicly traded.

In 1990, McClatchy began publishing on the East Coast with the purchase of three daily newspapers in South Carolina: The Herald in Rock Hill, The Island Packet on Hilton Head Island, and The Beaufort Gazette. The company entered North Carolina in 1995 with the acquisition of The News & Observer in Raleigh and several affiliated non-dailies. McClatchy Interactive, known as Nando Media prior to 2005, was created by The News & Observer and acquired by McClatchy when it bought the newspaper. The Star Tribune, which serves the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, today is McClatchy’s largest newspaper. The addition of the Star Tribune in 1998 positioned the company in four distinct, fast-growing regions in the nation.

In 2004, McClatchy purchased the Merced Sun-Star and five affiliated non-dailies in California’s Central Valley. The newspapers, situated between Modesto and Fresno, serve a fast-growing region and provided a good strategic fit with McClatchy’s other Central Valley papers.

In 2006, McClatchy purchased Knight Ridder Inc. to become the second-largest newspaper publisher in the United States.

Of Knight Ridder’s 32 daily newspapers, McClatchy immediately announced its intentions to sell 12 that didn't fit its longstanding acquisition philosophy of buying newspapers in fast-growing markets.

The 20 daily newspapers retained in the Knight Ridder acquisition were: The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, Calif.; The Bellingham Herald and The Olympian in Washington; The Idaho Statesman in Boise; The Kansas City Star in Missouri; The Olathe News and The Wichita Eagle in Kansas; the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas; the Belleville News-Democrat in Illinois; the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and The Telegraph in Georgia; the Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss.; the Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky; the Centre Daily Times in Pennsylvania; The Miami Herald, Bradenton Herald and El Nuevo Herald in Florida; The Charlotte Observer in North Carolina; and The Sun News and The State in South Carolina.

With the acquisition of Knight Ridder, McClatchy also acquired dozens of non-daily newspapers, added a number of digital assets and employees, significantly expanded its Washington, D.C., news bureau, and gained an international presence for the first time in its history with the addition of 10 foreign news bureaus.

The McClatchy Company today owns 32 daily newspapers in 30 U.S. markets. These markets are growing 50 percent faster than the national average. In each of its daily newspaper markets, McClatchy operates the leading local website, offering readers information, comprehensive news, advertising, e-commerce and other services.

http://www.mcclatchy.com/100/story/179.html
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robinlynne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Feb-08-07 11:42 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. Thank-you!
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MrPrax Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Feb-09-07 12:35 AM
Response to Original message
5. OMG!
Shocking, but not likely to sway this Angry Taxpayer!...Who actually makes a good point about Corruption, Incompetence that should really attract the attention of Americans.

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alfredo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Feb-09-07 01:28 AM
Response to Original message
6. Give a good reason for staying there one more day.
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Toots Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Feb-09-07 09:26 AM
Response to Original message
7. When people are being taught by corrupt incompetent people is it any surprise
that they turn out to be corrupt and incompetent as well?
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Supersedeas Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Feb-09-07 06:18 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. good point
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3waygeek Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Feb-09-07 07:14 PM
Response to Original message
9. A total success...
we've brought American-style democracy to Iraq :sarcasm:
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