Fer cryin' out loud....

....let the man speak for himself. AP reports, with the headline "Top U.S. Commander: Iraq Forces Not Ready"

The top American commander in Iraq (news - web sites) on Wednesday said U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces were still not ready to take over the counterinsurgency and there was no guarantee they will ever be able to defeat it on their own.

Gen. George Casey said the 130,000 Iraqi police and soldiers still lack leaders to direct them in a fight against rebels, and local police forces who've deserted in the thousands in the face of intimidation and withering assaults by guerrillas remain a key weak point.

Training and equipping Iraqi troops to eventually take the lead role here is a central pillar in U.S. efforts to rein in insurgents and eventually pull American and other foreign troops out of the country. But the Iraqi forces have been criticized for poor training and lack of leadership.

So there's no hope that they'll ever be able to handle security in their country, right?

"Can I sit here and look you in the eye and say that the Iraqi security forces guaranteed 100 percent are going to be able to defeat this insurgency by themselves? Of course not," Casey said.

"From what I've seen in the seven months that I've been here, I believe that we can achieve capable Iraqi security forces over a period of time that can deal with the Iraqi insurgency that's here."

Wait. Just a minute ago you said.....I mean the reporter said that you said "there was no guarantee they will ever be able to defeat [the insurgency] on their own." Oh, I get it. The reporter put words in your mouth....or rather he turned your words around.

Damn reporters.