posted by Chris @ 12/12/2005 08:28:00 PM  
Iraqi Snake Eaters?

"Snake Eater" is a term used to describe the "badasses" in U.S. Military special forces and elite infantry units. These are the guys who "get down and dirty" to get the job done.

I get the impression that most of the Iraqi Snake Eaters are either in the insurgency or the militias. They don't seem to be in the Iraqi Army that the United States is training.

Actually, the Iraqis should be teaching the Americans a thing or two about fighting in the Middle East. After all, the Iraqi military, prior to the U.S. invasion, actually had a pretty good handle on a tough situation. They regularly conducted heavy-handed urban military operations around the country to keep the various groups in check. During the '80s, they fought a large-scale conventional war, complete with chemical weapons, against the Iranians.

Why then, are the Americans having such a hard time training the new Iraqi Army? One aspect, of course, is bringing Iraqi forces in general up to the standards of the professional American military. But another aspect is motivation. The insurgency is mainly carried out by the Snake Eaters from the old Sunni-dominated Iraq Army. The new Iraq Army is made up of some motivated Iraqis, but also of many non-Snake Eaters who are just looking for a paycheck.

Once the U.S. Military can find a few Snake Eaters for the new Iraq Army, then it can come home!

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