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Originally Posted by host
The most misleading statement I saw was that Bush repeated several times that 100,000 Iraqis have been trained
to assume security duties in Iraq, and Kerry did not challenge him.
Bush stated last week that 100,000 Iraqis had been trained. Bush misled
deliberately by intending to give the impression that there is now an
effective Iraqi security force of about 100,000. Even Iraqi Prime Minister
Allawi said last week that the number was actually 50,000.
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There were many things like this, but remember that the last thing Kerry wanted to do last night was get drawn into a nuanced discussion about the vagaries of what constitutes 'trained' or not, which would be the perfect forum for Bush to display an 'aw, shucks' and make Kerry look foolish for trying to explain such a detailed issue.
The truth is that putting people in uniform, giving them a gun, and teaching them formation drill, does not make them trained. We have done this before countless times, and with the same result far too often: ill-trained glorified militias who are worthless in a truly trying situation (see: ARVN). The strategy is to identify the few 'true warriors' from teh mob and promote them to special units usually focused on protecting the regime. Failed strategies of the past that I have no faith in succeeding today are truly something worthy of highlighting, but I am afraid that last night was not the right forum for it.