Embedded journalism from the front lines of
Afghanistan & Iraq ~ by Mike & Carlos Boettcher

If Iraqi’s are trained to drive army transport trucks, perhaps that means fewer Americans are needed to do the job. If a man from Baghdad is taught how to load freon to a Humvee’s air conditioning system, maybe a U.S. soldier who did that job can come home. There are hundreds of other skills that Iraqi’s need to learn if they are indeed going to take over more control of their nation. The more they do, the fewer Americans they need. That is now the priority of U.S. commanders as they plan to draw down even more U.S. forces and lessen their footprint by a June 30th deadline.

The last three weeks have seen an increase in bloody bombings, especially in the Baghdad area. U.S. commanders expected a spike in insurgent attacks meant to disrupt the U.S. move this summer out of Iraq’s cities. But American commanders insist it will not change their timetable. Colonel Joseph Martin, who commands 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, assigned to cover a huge swath of west Baghdad, believes the new attacks will not alter the inevitable. He calls it “irreversible momentum”. Colonel Martin believes the average Iraqi has grown weary of the bombings and has turned against the insurgents. The surge, he says, created a long period of relative peace to which Iraqis have become accustomed.

However, more and more it is up to the iraqi Army and Police to control the violence. The recent bombings are an early test of their readiness and the feasibility of the American timetable for withdrawal. In the meantime, American soldiers are in overdrive training Iraqi soldiers to take over critical jobs. This week we visited the Iraqi base at Taji, north of Baghdad, where some of that training is being conducted. Watch the video for a first hand look.