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6.12.2005
Building Iraq's Army: Mission Improbable: "Almost to a man, the soldiers said they joined for the money -- a relatively munificent $300 to $400 a month. The military and police forces offered some of the few job opportunities in town. Even then, the soldiers were irate: They wanted more time off, air-conditioned quarters like their American counterparts and, most important, respect. Most frustrating, they said, was the two- or three-hour wait to be searched at the base's gate when they returned from leave. There's only so much people will do for money. American soldiers believe that they are defending their country, and that, is a purpose worth sacrificing their lives for. Whereas it seems that the Iraqi soldiers are being asked to put their lives on the line for the "American Project", whose purpose is still unclear. They need to believe that in the end, after all is said and done, that they will have control over their own country, or else there is no good reason to stay commited, to fight, and to die. Belief is a powerful motivating force. Right now, if the Iraqis believed in the U.S. mission to bring democracy to their country, they would fight even under the most hostile conditions, and they would have support from their own people. But the continuing lack of honesty and principle coming from the White House is undermining their own stated goals. Here in the states there is a bias towards believing in our own good intentions. This is not true elsewhere. Here, when the president says that he wants freedom, some people take his word for it. Where there is no underlying credibility, people look at our actions as proof of our intentions. Its not what we say, but what we do, that marks the path of our intentions. |
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