New Iraqi troops fly into Baghdad(Kurdish Troops)

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - About 130 fresh Iraqi troops from the country's Kurdish north flew into Baghdad on Sunday to join the fight for the nation's capital — with the promise of a $200 bonus, nearly a month's pay.

The mostly Kurdish soldiers — the first to arrive from the northern city of Irbil — were greeted by Iraqi commanders as they filed off the gray C-130 troop transport. They wore camouflage, with machine guns or rocket-propelled grenade launchers slung over their shoulders. Many carried belongings in plastic bags.

The troops represented a fraction of the expected influx of some 8,000 Iraqi reinforcements from the north, the Shiite south and the insurgent stronghold of Anbar province west of Baghdad.

The drafting of troops from the north — most former Kurdish guerrillas who fought for decades against Saddam Hussein's regime — to participate in the security crackdown in the capital has raised concerns as many speak no Arabic and are unfamiliar with the territory and urban warfare.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070225/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_iraqi_troops

[annabanana]

1. Oh fricken' GREAT....

Calling these guys "Iraqi troops" isn't going to cut it on the streets of Baghdad, and anyone with a brain in their heads knows that this HAS to backfire.

Let's see. . a recipe for further sectarian violence.... hmmm
How about shipping Kurds into the middle? Yeah, that oughta do it alright.

[lyonn]

3. Who is watching this war? Where are the leaders?

Another breaking news item was the Brits cruising on their tank through a poppy field in Afghanistan?? Not spraying to kill the stuff. Actually it was a pretty poppy field. It was in an area described as providing about 60% of the heroine from that country.

Another article from the Guardian was discussing how a town in Afghanistan had made an agreement where the Taliban and Brits would allow the locals to take over, police were supplied with arms from the U.S., and then days later the Taliban militia took over the town and did some serious burning of buildings during the takeover.

Kurds fighting in Baghdad is really interesting, they gotta have some issues with the Sunnis and Shiites living and fighting there! According to the article only a total of 1,130 Kurds were there to help. Very few of the promised Iraqi military had arrived for the big surge.

[lligrd]

2. Adding Fuel To The Fire

What exactly are we trying to accomplish again?

[saigon68]

6. These Cannon Fodder will die

Maybe they can do some Rapes too !!!

[rodeodance]

4. ..transportation is done by Iraqi planes. This is a historic event,"

The Iraqi troops were the first to be brought to the capital in an aircraft piloted by Iraqis, the military said, touting it as a sign the Iraqis are making strides toward taking over their own security.

"Instead of depending on the friendly forces to move such units, now the transportation is done by Iraqi planes. This is a historic event," Ghadan said.

[NYC]

5. Isn't a C-130 an American plane?

So, I guess it became an Iraqi plane when we gave it to them? (I guess we could have sold it to them, but we are spending zillions of $ there. What's the cost of a C-130?)

[atreides1]

7. Depends on which model they got

Unit Cost: C-130E, $11.9, C-130H, $30.1, C-130J, $48.5

[NYC]

8. Thanks.

Quite a price range.