BAGHDAD — The U.S. military has acknowledged that the Iraq
Army has been hampered by a poor command structure.
Officials said Iraqi military commanders have refused to impose
discipline in their units and enabled absentee soldiers to receive salaries.
They said the reluctance of the commanders stems from fear of retaliation by
penalized soldiers and their families.
"The main motive of joining the Iraq Army is money, money, money," a
U.S. military official said. "Take away that money and the soldiers will
leave in droves."
Officials said the U.S. military has increased efforts to groom Iraqi
commanders. But they said the effort has been hampered by a lawless Iraqi culture
that does not stress patriotism as well as the
high casualty rate among soldiers and commanders.
"The Iraqis have never led volunteers," an official said. "Under Saddam,
they [commanders] ruled by threats and brutality, not by the force of their
personalities."
The Iraqi Defense Ministry has sought to bolster the military command
structure by recruiting former commanders who served in the army of Saddam
Hussein. The Defense Ministry has called on former Saddam officers of ranks
of major and below to enlist in the new Iraq Army.
The poor Iraqi command structure has been seen in Operation Steel
Curtain, the latest major U.S.-led offensive along the Syrian border.
Officials acknowledged the failure of Iraqi officers to impose discipline,
including against soldiers who fall asleep during operations or fail to
report to guard duty.
The officials said failing discipline was the key reason for the drop in
the number of independent Iraq Army battalions, deemed Level 1. They said
the replacement or death of a commander has almost always resulted in a
sharp drop in discipline and operational capability of battalions and other
units.
In October, the Defense Department reported one Iraqi battalion as being
deemed Level 1. In June, there were three battalions at that grade.
Officials said enlistment effort began on Nov. 6 and would continue
through early December in an effort to bolster the cadres of mid-level
officers. They said recruitment centers have been established in Baghdad,
Basra, Irbil, Habaniyah, Hwaijah and Suleimaniya.