WE CAN'T MAKE UP FOR LACK OF DESIRE

No matter how good the Iraqi troops are (and they aren't very good overall), they aren't good at all if they don't show up at their posts.

Iraqi Troops: Asleep on the Job?
Monday, Apr. 21, 2008
By ABIGAIL HAUSLOHNER/MAHMUDIYA
TIME Magazine

But where was the Iraqi platoon that was supposed to be leading this morning's sweep of the village? As it turned out, they had all overslept.

There were a few Iraqi troops around, in mismatched uniforms, as well as a secondary commander, but the designated platoon was nowhere to be found. "The army is very good at what they do," said Zemp. "They just have a problem with sleeping in."

Said General Ali, the commander of Iraqi forces in Mahmudiya: "If you're talking about [U.S. forces withdrawing] tomorrow, I need more equipment. The Iraqi army needs more equipment to function on its own. It needs time and support from both the Iraqi government and coalition forces." One Iraqi official even has his own timetable for American troops. "I need [American forces] here until 2015," said Sheikh Amash Saray, the head of the Mahmudiyah local council.