Hunter urges boost in Iraqi army training

WASHINGTON, April 18 (UPI) -- A prominent Republican member of the U.S. Congress Wednesday urged the Iraqi government to boost the training of its military forces.

The call by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif, the ranking Republican member of the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives, reflected growing concern among U.S. lawmakers that the Baghdad government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki needed to act more vigorously to improve the training of its armed forces.

"The Iraqi government must develop a capable, national military force that is combat-tested and accountable to its civilian leadership. Toward this end, you may be aware that I have forwarded to President Bush a strong recommendation to ensure that all Iraqi battalions experience combat tours in 'hot-spot' areas like Baghdad to grow and validate capabilities," Hunter said.

Hunter, who is also a conservative candidate for the Republican Party's 2008 presidential nomination, said his plan envisaged "implementing a rotation schedule that requires every Iraqi combat battalion to participate in a three-month combat rotation."

"Such rotations will develop unit cohesion, leadership, confidence, capabilities and the chain of command," he said.

Hunter also said his plan would seek to give Iraqi troops "modest training and basic equipment, including small arms, communications gear, transportation and medical gear. They may develop more advanced capabilities while they operate side-by-side with U.S. forces and also after U.S. forces leave."

Hunter has been a leading proponent in Congress of an "Iraqification" military policy that would get more units of the new Iraqi army more directly involved in the battle to establish security in the capital Baghdad.