Perspective: U.S. troops doubt Iraqi army ready

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A few hours before another mission into the cauldron of Baghdad, Spc. Daniel Caldwell's wife instant-messaged him Thursday morning. President Bush, Kelly wrote, wanted to send 21,500 U.S. troops and extend deployments in Iraq. Eight weeks pregnant, she was worried.

Caldwell, a tall, lean 20-year-old from Montesano, Grays Harbor County, wondered whether he would miss the birth of his child. He walked outside and joined his comrades of Apache Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Stryker Brigade, based at Fort Lewis. They, too, had heard the news.

Moments before he stepped into his squad's Stryker — a large, bathtub-shaped vehicle encased in a cage — Caldwell echoed a sentiment shared by many in his squad: "They're kicking a dead horse here. The Iraqi army can't stand up on their own."

Read the rest at the Seattle Times