6 May Washington Times - Iraqi Security Units Lacking Gear.

Iraqi security units are being held back from taking the lead in the counterinsurgency fight by a lack of proper equipment, among other issues, says a top U.S. commander.

"All Iraqi army units in [the north] are in the fight," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Turner II, who commands the 101st Airborne Division patrolling northern areas of Iraq. "Those that have not assumed an area of operations, it is generally due to the lack of equipment or specialized training, and those units are fighting alongside ours."

Gen. Turner, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon via a video link, said the Iraqi police face the same shortfall.

"For partnering with U.S. forces, they are progressing rapidly," Gen. Turner said. "As you would expect, they are plagued with the same administrative and logistical shortcomings as the army."

His assessment dovetails with the findings of retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, who reported last month that the Iraqi army is woefully short of arms and equipment.

Army units, Gen. McCaffrey wrote in a memo to his colleagues at West Point, "are very badly equipped with only a few light vehicles, small arms, most with body armor and one or two uniforms. They have almost no mortars, heavy machine guns, decent communications equipment, artillery, armor, or [air force] transport, helicopter and strike support." ...