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Iraq Revives Its British Past

August 8, 2008: While Britain is planning to sharply cut its troop levels in Iraq, it is negotiating with the Iraqi government to maintain a long term force for training and advising on military and security matters. The current force of 4,000 troops will soon be reduced to about a thousand, and will mostly be trainers. Iraqi officers and NCOs are in particular need of training, both for purely military matters, as well as for counter-terror efforts.


The original Iraqi army of the 1930s was trained and equipped by Britain. But after the military coup in the 1950s (that all but exterminated the royal family), the military turned to the Soviet Union for training and equipment. That's didn't work out too well, and now the Iraqis are interested in catching on what they've missed.


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