Islamic Troop Plan Prompts Skepticism

Last week, the Saudi government outlined its proposal for deployment of Muslim soldiers in Iraq. While US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that he supported “the concept” of a Muslim troop presence, both he and the leadership of Iraq’s interim governing council have several reservations about specifics. Whereas the Saudi proposal advocates troops forming a separate UN-mandated umbrella, the US and Iraq would like to see troops added to the current multinational force in a single chain of command. Also the American and Iraqi leadership are wary of the proposed one-for-one troop swap, worrying that current US, British, Polish, Australian and Ukrainian troops are better trained and equipped than most troops from Muslim countries. – YaleGlobal