Iraqi army trainees learn ropes on ‘Island’

[Jerry]

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

TIKRIT, Iraq — When basic trainee Habib Siad talks about his reasons for joining the Iraqi army, he sounds like some U.S. college students close to graduation — idealistic and ready to take on the world...

“When serving in this army, I feel like I’m serving my country, not serving a person,” said Siad, who hopes one day to be a drill instructor....

“The Americans came from far away to fight terrorists,” Chwin said. “Why not help?”...

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=31708

[JASONTL]

The NATO Training Mission will, this year, train around 700 officers in country, as well as several hundred in NATO facilities in Europe. That figure will rise next year to some 900 officers trained in country.

NATO is also providing significant amounts of equipment to the Iraqi forces, including an impending delivery of 77 Hungarian T-72 main battle tanks.

http://www.noticias.info/asp/aspComunicados.asp?nid=103752&src=0