Do Iraqis understand how poorly stories like these play in America?

And if they do, what is the message here?

As American forces sweep through Baghdad at considerable risk to themselves, trying to disarm Iraqi militias, reports such as the following about Shiite policemen are not encouraging.

Today's New York Times quotes a "translator working with the Americans" who claims he overheard Iraqi police "telling people in the neighborhood to hide your weapons from the Americans." While its not clear whether or not this translator may have an agenda from the Times report, his account seems to be at least somewhat corroborated by Americans in positions to know.

First Lt. Andy Moffit, a platoon leader, told the Times that "the major problem with Iraqi forces is not their tactical skill, but their 'loyalties and integrity.'"

As the Times reports, the cost in American blood has been high in this effort to bring peace to Baghdad. Since American troops have, as the Times puts it "increasingly returned to the front lines in Baghdad....they have suffered an average of 85 deaths a month since then [August] - a 50 percent increase over the previous six months."

The Times goes on to report (again, not helping the Iraqi case):

Even routine security tasks performed by Iraqi forces, such as operating traffic checkpoints, are frequently underminded by laziness, American troops say, if not outright sabotage through complicity with the militias.

If Iraqis want American assistance to continue, let's hope they figure out sooner rather than later that news like this doesn't play very well in America.