Friday, October 12, 2007
Petraeus concerned over tension with Turkey
Region
(AP) -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq warned Thursday that Turkey's threatened incursion into Kurdish regions in the north of the country could harm the flow of supplies for U.S. troops and damage the Kurdish economy. Iraqi Kurdistan, a haven of relative calm, could suddenly become another fault line if Turkey makes good on threats to cross the northern border in pursuit of Turkish Kurdish militants.
"We are concerned about that," Gen. David Petraeus told two U.S. reporters in a dusty courtyard in Jadidah, a Shiite town about 25 miles north of Baghdad. The Turkish government is preparing to ask parliament to authorize a cross-border operation. Approval would allow the military to launch an operation immediately or wait to see if the United States and its Iraqi allies decide to crack down on the rebels.
"A lot our supplies come through Turkey. ... To maintain that commercial exchange is hugely important through the border crossing at Habur Gate. And we hope that will continue," Petraeus said. A Turkish incursion could open an delicate new front in Iraq just as U.S. forces were seeing major gains against both Shiite and Sunni extremists in the largely Arab sections of the county south of the Kurdish region.
Beyond that, about 70 percent of U.S. air cargo headed for Iraq transits Turkey, as does about one-third of the fuel used by the U.S. military in Iraq. U.S. bases also get water and other supplies by land from Turkish truckers who cross into the northern region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq's Kurdish region also is heavily dependent on trade with Turkey, which provides the region with electricity and oil products. Annual trade at Habur gate, the main border crossing, is more than $10 billion.
Petraeus said the United States, which lists the PKK as a terrorist organization, understood Ankara's concerns about the activities of the militant group. "The violence that has been undertaken by the PKK is an enormous challenge. It's really a strategic issue. So we are again very understanding of the concern they (the Turks) have over these terrorists who are up in the very, very high mountains that straddle the border there," Petraeus said
On Thursday, Turkey ordered its ambassador in Washington to return to Turkey for consultations, an extreme sign of diplomatic displeasure.
"We are concerned about that," Gen. David Petraeus told two U.S. reporters in a dusty courtyard in Jadidah, a Shiite town about 25 miles north of Baghdad. The Turkish government is preparing to ask parliament to authorize a cross-border operation. Approval would allow the military to launch an operation immediately or wait to see if the United States and its Iraqi allies decide to crack down on the rebels.
"A lot our supplies come through Turkey. ... To maintain that commercial exchange is hugely important through the border crossing at Habur Gate. And we hope that will continue," Petraeus said. A Turkish incursion could open an delicate new front in Iraq just as U.S. forces were seeing major gains against both Shiite and Sunni extremists in the largely Arab sections of the county south of the Kurdish region.
Beyond that, about 70 percent of U.S. air cargo headed for Iraq transits Turkey, as does about one-third of the fuel used by the U.S. military in Iraq. U.S. bases also get water and other supplies by land from Turkish truckers who cross into the northern region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq's Kurdish region also is heavily dependent on trade with Turkey, which provides the region with electricity and oil products. Annual trade at Habur gate, the main border crossing, is more than $10 billion.
Petraeus said the United States, which lists the PKK as a terrorist organization, understood Ankara's concerns about the activities of the militant group. "The violence that has been undertaken by the PKK is an enormous challenge. It's really a strategic issue. So we are again very understanding of the concern they (the Turks) have over these terrorists who are up in the very, very high mountains that straddle the border there," Petraeus said
On Thursday, Turkey ordered its ambassador in Washington to return to Turkey for consultations, an extreme sign of diplomatic displeasure.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Jadidah, Kurdistan, PKK, Turkey
Monday, October 08, 2007
Iran reopens border crossings with Iraqi Kurdistan
Region
(AP) - Iran reopened five border crossing points with Kurdish-run northern Iraq on Monday, closed last month by Tehran to protest the U.S. detention of an Iranian official. The Iranian border points were closed Sept. 24 to protest the U.S. detention of an Iranian official. The U.S. military has said the official was a member of the paramilitary Quds Force, a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards that is accused of providing arms and training to Shiite extremists.
The border points were reopened after a Kurdish delegation traveled to Iran to complain the region should not be punished for something the Americans did. Iraqi and Iranian authorities have claimed that the detained Iranian, Mahmoud Farhadi, was in Iraq on official business and demanded his release. A spokesman for the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, Jamal Abdullah, said he hoped the resumed flow of traffic and goods would help rising prices plaguing the region since the closures.
The reopening is in the "economic interests of both countries," Abdullah said, adding that Tehran and Baghdad share the responsibility to "prevent gunmen from having access to either side of the border." U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus claimed this weekend that the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, was a member of the Quds Force.
"The Quds Force controls the policy for Iraq; there should be no confusion about that either," Petraeus told CNN and other reporters during a trip to a military base on the Iranian border. "The ambassador is a Quds Force member. Now he has diplomatic immunity and therefore he is obviously not subject (to an investigation) and he is acting as a diplomat."
Petraeus did not provide details on how he knew that Qomi, who has held talks in Baghdad with U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, belonged to the Quds Force. The Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations. "These are not new comments. Similar accusations were raised, formerly. It is baseless and not right," ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters in Tehran.
The Iraqis have found themselves caught between two allies as they struggle to balance the interests of the U.S. military, their main sponsor, and Iran, a major regional ally. Iran holds considerable sway in Iraq: Both countries have majority Shiite populations, and many members of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling Shiite bloc have close ties with Tehran.
The border points were reopened after a Kurdish delegation traveled to Iran to complain the region should not be punished for something the Americans did. Iraqi and Iranian authorities have claimed that the detained Iranian, Mahmoud Farhadi, was in Iraq on official business and demanded his release. A spokesman for the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, Jamal Abdullah, said he hoped the resumed flow of traffic and goods would help rising prices plaguing the region since the closures.
The reopening is in the "economic interests of both countries," Abdullah said, adding that Tehran and Baghdad share the responsibility to "prevent gunmen from having access to either side of the border." U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus claimed this weekend that the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, was a member of the Quds Force.
"The Quds Force controls the policy for Iraq; there should be no confusion about that either," Petraeus told CNN and other reporters during a trip to a military base on the Iranian border. "The ambassador is a Quds Force member. Now he has diplomatic immunity and therefore he is obviously not subject (to an investigation) and he is acting as a diplomat."
Petraeus did not provide details on how he knew that Qomi, who has held talks in Baghdad with U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, belonged to the Quds Force. The Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations. "These are not new comments. Similar accusations were raised, formerly. It is baseless and not right," ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters in Tehran.
The Iraqis have found themselves caught between two allies as they struggle to balance the interests of the U.S. military, their main sponsor, and Iran, a major regional ally. Iran holds considerable sway in Iraq: Both countries have majority Shiite populations, and many members of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling Shiite bloc have close ties with Tehran.
Labels: border, General David Petraeus, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iranian detainee, Kurdistan, Mahmoud Farhadi, Quds Force
Friday, September 14, 2007
Bush plans longterm stay in Iraq
Security
(The Guardian) - George Bush last night called on Americans to support an "enduring relationship" with Iraq, in a speech delivered hours after a key Sunni tribal ally, portrayed as symbolic of a potential turnaround for the US in the war, was killed by a roadside bomb. The president's prime-time address from the Oval Office marked the clearest acknowledgement to date from the White House that it envisages a long-term strategic relationship with the government in Baghdad, requiring the presence of US forces for years to come.
It follows repeated warnings from US officials of a "proxy war" with Iran. Last night's 18-minute address had been designed to unite a war-weary public and a restive Congress behind Mr Bush's plan for maintaining the bulk of US forces in Iraq for the duration of his presidency.
The president attempted to soften his proposal by endorsing the recommendation this week of the commander of US forces, General David Petraeus, for a phased withdrawal of 30,000 troops sent to Iraq this year in the temporary "surge". The first withdrawals of 5,700 soldiers could start by Christmas, the president said last night. However, even those drawdowns were contingent on the situation on the ground.
"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is 'return on success'," Mr Bush stipulated, in advance excerpts of the speech released by the White House. "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home." Earlier yesterday, Bush administration officials had said that decisions on any further withdrawals beyond the 5,700 would be deferred to March 2008, when Gen Petraeus is due to deliver another progress report on the war to Congress.
Mr Bush's plan to maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq flies in the face of opinion polls which show a majority of Americans support an exit from the war zone. He acknowledged those frustrations last night, saying: "Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late. They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to al-Qaida. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win."
However, the fragility of America's claim of the possibility of success in Iraq was dramatically underlined by the killing of a Sunni sheikh in Anbar province. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha's turnaround from attacking US forces to an alliance with them against al-Qaida had been held up by the Pentagon and the White House as a beacon of hope for Iraq.
Sheikh Abu Risha was seen as the living embodiment of cooperation between US forces and local clans in Anbar. He was blown up by a car or roadside bomb near his home in Ramadi yesterday morning. Such gains were so crucial to Mr Bush's calculations on selling his war plan to the US public that he did not even go to Baghdad during his lightning trip to Iraq. He spent his entire visit at the US air base in Anbar, meeting Iraqi tribal leaders and members of the Baghdad government. On his seven-hour visit, Mr Bush was photographed shaking hands with the sheikh, and the president hailed him as a hero.
In his current reporting on the state of the war to politicians in Washington, Gen Petraeus had called the rejection of al-Qaida by Sunni tribes "the most significant development of the past eight months". Anbar was the one bright spot in Gen Petraeus's report. Only a year ago, US officials had given Anbar up as politically lost.
Sheikh Abu Risha had been the most visible local advocate of that turnabout, giving interviews to Arabic satellite channels calling for an end to extremism. The general had said that it was the success of America's alliance with Sunni tribes under the sheikh in driving al-Qaida out of Anbar which had persuaded him that it was possible for the US to begin pulling out its forces without compromising security on the ground.
It follows repeated warnings from US officials of a "proxy war" with Iran. Last night's 18-minute address had been designed to unite a war-weary public and a restive Congress behind Mr Bush's plan for maintaining the bulk of US forces in Iraq for the duration of his presidency.
The president attempted to soften his proposal by endorsing the recommendation this week of the commander of US forces, General David Petraeus, for a phased withdrawal of 30,000 troops sent to Iraq this year in the temporary "surge". The first withdrawals of 5,700 soldiers could start by Christmas, the president said last night. However, even those drawdowns were contingent on the situation on the ground.
"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is 'return on success'," Mr Bush stipulated, in advance excerpts of the speech released by the White House. "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home." Earlier yesterday, Bush administration officials had said that decisions on any further withdrawals beyond the 5,700 would be deferred to March 2008, when Gen Petraeus is due to deliver another progress report on the war to Congress.
Mr Bush's plan to maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq flies in the face of opinion polls which show a majority of Americans support an exit from the war zone. He acknowledged those frustrations last night, saying: "Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late. They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to al-Qaida. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win."
However, the fragility of America's claim of the possibility of success in Iraq was dramatically underlined by the killing of a Sunni sheikh in Anbar province. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha's turnaround from attacking US forces to an alliance with them against al-Qaida had been held up by the Pentagon and the White House as a beacon of hope for Iraq.
Sheikh Abu Risha was seen as the living embodiment of cooperation between US forces and local clans in Anbar. He was blown up by a car or roadside bomb near his home in Ramadi yesterday morning. Such gains were so crucial to Mr Bush's calculations on selling his war plan to the US public that he did not even go to Baghdad during his lightning trip to Iraq. He spent his entire visit at the US air base in Anbar, meeting Iraqi tribal leaders and members of the Baghdad government. On his seven-hour visit, Mr Bush was photographed shaking hands with the sheikh, and the president hailed him as a hero.
In his current reporting on the state of the war to politicians in Washington, Gen Petraeus had called the rejection of al-Qaida by Sunni tribes "the most significant development of the past eight months". Anbar was the one bright spot in Gen Petraeus's report. Only a year ago, US officials had given Anbar up as politically lost.
Sheikh Abu Risha had been the most visible local advocate of that turnabout, giving interviews to Arabic satellite channels calling for an end to extremism. The general had said that it was the success of America's alliance with Sunni tribes under the sheikh in driving al-Qaida out of Anbar which had persuaded him that it was possible for the US to begin pulling out its forces without compromising security on the ground.
Labels: Anbar Salvation Council, assassination, General David Petraeus, George Bush, Iraq, Sheikh Abu Risha, U.S. troops
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Petraeus decides not to send U.S. troops to Basra
Security
(AFP) - The US military is taking a "wait and see" stance on developments in the southern Iraqi port of Basra but believes the Iraqi military can handle violence between factions competing for power, the US commander in Iraq said Wednesday. General David Petraeus said some small US special forces elements may be sent to the south to work with Iraqi forces, but not a larger US presence as Britain scales back its mission in the south.
"So I think we're in a wait-and-see approach with Basra. But we have every expectation that Basra will be resolved by Iraqis," he said at a press conference here. Petraeus, who was grilled by Congress for two days about the situation in Iraq, is scheduled to depart next week for London for talks on Britain's plans in Iraq.
The 5,500-British force has been pulled into an air base outside Basra since last week's handover of its last base inside the city, and plans call for reducing that force by 500 troops in the coming weeks. The British pull-back from bases in the south has been accompanied by a rise of factional violence among Shiite militias competing for control of the oil rich region, which has Iraq's only major port on the Gulf. Petraeus said the violence has subsided over the past month because of accommodations worked out by the Iraqis.
There are "lots of challenges, don't get me wrong," he said. "There's militia infiltration... All these different parties have elements and different structures in Iraq. "But they have come to accommodations that are allowing the functioning of activities down there. And, certainly, the oil has been flowing and the ports have been moving, and all the rest of that.
Petraeus said a four star Iraqi general has been assigned to the south and the Iraqi are moving in a special operations forces battalion and elements of a mechanized battalion while swapping out some army brigades. "In many cases, in that area, the presence of those forces, again, when it comes to intra-Shia rivalries, can sometimes be enough to keep the situation one in which they're shouting rather than shooting," he said.
"So I think we're in a wait-and-see approach with Basra. But we have every expectation that Basra will be resolved by Iraqis," he said at a press conference here. Petraeus, who was grilled by Congress for two days about the situation in Iraq, is scheduled to depart next week for London for talks on Britain's plans in Iraq.
The 5,500-British force has been pulled into an air base outside Basra since last week's handover of its last base inside the city, and plans call for reducing that force by 500 troops in the coming weeks. The British pull-back from bases in the south has been accompanied by a rise of factional violence among Shiite militias competing for control of the oil rich region, which has Iraq's only major port on the Gulf. Petraeus said the violence has subsided over the past month because of accommodations worked out by the Iraqis.
There are "lots of challenges, don't get me wrong," he said. "There's militia infiltration... All these different parties have elements and different structures in Iraq. "But they have come to accommodations that are allowing the functioning of activities down there. And, certainly, the oil has been flowing and the ports have been moving, and all the rest of that.
Petraeus said a four star Iraqi general has been assigned to the south and the Iraqi are moving in a special operations forces battalion and elements of a mechanized battalion while swapping out some army brigades. "In many cases, in that area, the presence of those forces, again, when it comes to intra-Shia rivalries, can sometimes be enough to keep the situation one in which they're shouting rather than shooting," he said.
Labels: Basra, General David Petraeus, security, Shiite militias, U.S. troops
Sadrists react with anger to Petraeus report
Politics
(AFP) -- Moqtada al-Sadr's powerful Shiite movement reacted angrily on Wednesday to a progress report by the top US general and diplomat in Iraq, contesting their findings and vowing to fight on until all American troops leave. "The report did not touch on Iraqi reality," said Abdul-Mahdi al-Mutayri, a member of the politburo of Sadr's office in the central city of Najaf.
"It has damaged the interests of the people because it does not reflect the true situation in Iraq," Mutayri told AFP. "The security situation is still bad, contrary to what the report said. The people are still isolated from each other because of sectarian strife, especially in Baghdad," he added. He was referring to claims by US commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker that violence levels had dropped significantly because of an American troop "surge" in Iraq.
Appearing before the US Congress on Monday, Petraeus said that as a result of the improved security situation, 30,000 troops could be withdrawn by July next year. Mutayri scoffed at the withdrawal timetable outlined by Petraeus, which would see the first batch of Marines return home as early as this month. "Our basic aim is not a timetable but full withdrawal... we will keep demanding that until the last soldier leaves Iraq," he said.
Petraeus's announcement, he added, was merely for "media purposes" and to camouflage the fact that the US administration wants to maintain "the largest possible number of forces in Iraq for strategic purposes." Fiery anti-American cleric Sadr, who has a thousands-strong militia known as the Mahdi Army, has constantly demanded the departure of foreign troops from Iraqi soil since the US-led invasion in March 2003. It launched two uprisings in 2004 but suffered bloody defeats at the hands of US forces in both, although the militia has continued its attacks on foreign troops.
A member of parliament representing Sadr political bloc, Ghufran Saad, told AFP that Petraeus's announcement of possible troop cutbacks was "not fresh news." "Every year they say numbers of troops will leave, but what we see is that their number is in fact increased," Saad said. "The Sadr group did not need to listen to the report to know what they were going to say because we know that the Americans are always trying to impose their mandate on Iraq," she added.
The timetable for withdrawal was "a deception of the Iraqi people because their presence or departure should be determined by the Iraqi government." Sadr's spokesman Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi was sceptical that the withdrawal would happen in the way outlined by Petraeus. "The command of the US forces will not hesitate to keep them in Iraq if the situation changes for a real or fabricated reason," he said.
On August 29, Sadr ordered the Mahdi Army to halt its militia activities, including assaults on US-led forces, for six months after it was widely accused of fomenting violence during a huge pilgrimage in the shrine city of Karbala that left 50 people dead. Attacks on American forces continue, however, with US commanders blaming "rogue" Mahdi Army elements beyond Sadr's control. Najaf, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Baghdad where Sadr has his headquarters, is Shiite Islam's holiest pilgrimage city and home to the shrine of Imam Ali.
"It has damaged the interests of the people because it does not reflect the true situation in Iraq," Mutayri told AFP. "The security situation is still bad, contrary to what the report said. The people are still isolated from each other because of sectarian strife, especially in Baghdad," he added. He was referring to claims by US commander General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker that violence levels had dropped significantly because of an American troop "surge" in Iraq.
Appearing before the US Congress on Monday, Petraeus said that as a result of the improved security situation, 30,000 troops could be withdrawn by July next year. Mutayri scoffed at the withdrawal timetable outlined by Petraeus, which would see the first batch of Marines return home as early as this month. "Our basic aim is not a timetable but full withdrawal... we will keep demanding that until the last soldier leaves Iraq," he said.
Petraeus's announcement, he added, was merely for "media purposes" and to camouflage the fact that the US administration wants to maintain "the largest possible number of forces in Iraq for strategic purposes." Fiery anti-American cleric Sadr, who has a thousands-strong militia known as the Mahdi Army, has constantly demanded the departure of foreign troops from Iraqi soil since the US-led invasion in March 2003. It launched two uprisings in 2004 but suffered bloody defeats at the hands of US forces in both, although the militia has continued its attacks on foreign troops.
A member of parliament representing Sadr political bloc, Ghufran Saad, told AFP that Petraeus's announcement of possible troop cutbacks was "not fresh news." "Every year they say numbers of troops will leave, but what we see is that their number is in fact increased," Saad said. "The Sadr group did not need to listen to the report to know what they were going to say because we know that the Americans are always trying to impose their mandate on Iraq," she added.
The timetable for withdrawal was "a deception of the Iraqi people because their presence or departure should be determined by the Iraqi government." Sadr's spokesman Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi was sceptical that the withdrawal would happen in the way outlined by Petraeus. "The command of the US forces will not hesitate to keep them in Iraq if the situation changes for a real or fabricated reason," he said.
On August 29, Sadr ordered the Mahdi Army to halt its militia activities, including assaults on US-led forces, for six months after it was widely accused of fomenting violence during a huge pilgrimage in the shrine city of Karbala that left 50 people dead. Attacks on American forces continue, however, with US commanders blaming "rogue" Mahdi Army elements beyond Sadr's control. Najaf, 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of Baghdad where Sadr has his headquarters, is Shiite Islam's holiest pilgrimage city and home to the shrine of Imam Ali.
Labels: Abdul-Mahdi al-Mutayri, General David Petraeus, Ghufran Saad, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Najaf, Sadrist bloc, Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi
Iraq's national security adviser - less combat operations for coalition troops
Security
(CNN) -- Iraq's government expects fewer combat operations for U.S.-led coalition troops in the near future, the country's national security adviser said Tuesday. Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie says Iraq will need U.S. help for some time to come. Mowaffak al-Rubaie, reacting to testimony Monday by U.S. Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Capitol Hill, said Iraq is aiming "to achieve complete Iraqi security reliance as soon as possible."
But he said his country still needs help. "We know that for some time we will continue to need the support of the coalition," al-Rubaie said. Al-Rubaie expressed appreciation for the "transparency and candor" of Petraeus and Crocker, who underscored that the Iraqi government, while making some progress, faces many severe challenges in the months and years ahead.
Addressing the frustrations of citizens and officials, al-Rubaie said the government wished it were further along but it is doing what it can on all fronts -- militarily, politically, and economically. He noted that despite "progress," there have been "setbacks" in what has been a "most difficult path." "We Iraqis are, of course, impatient and we wish our progress was more rapid. We understand this as well as the impatience and disappointment of our coalition supporters who expected more, sooner."
Al-Rubaie said the armed forces that were built from scratch in the post-Saddam Hussein era were making strides. Three years ago, none of the country's 18 provinces were under Iraqi control. Today, seven provinces are under full Iraqi security responsibility, and there will be more transfers of power. And he said Iraq has almost 500,000 trained soldiers and police operating against insurgents. By the middle of next year, he said, all the Iraqi army combat units will be "organized, equipped and trained and in operations."
"The capabilities of our security forces are now formidable," he said. And, he said, the citizenry is turning against "our common enemy," a reference to the "tribal awakening" of Iraqis who are turning against militants, such as al Qaeda in Iraq. Such a development has been touted in Iraq's Anbar province. He said Iraq has just published a national security strategy, he said.
"With the significant and visible success of the current security operation and the increasing capabilities of Iraqi forces, we anticipate in the near term, the relaxation of the requirement for coalition forces in direct combat operations," al-Rubaie said. "We will work with our coalition partners to make sure the coalition requirement in Iraq will take into consideration ... Iraqi capabilities and security conditions on the ground." The political arena is of greatest concern to the U.S. government and its citizens. The Nuri al-Maliki government has been beset by partisan bickering, sectarian tensions and bloc walkouts, and the Iraqi parliament has not yet passed key legislation.
But he said his country still needs help. "We know that for some time we will continue to need the support of the coalition," al-Rubaie said. Al-Rubaie expressed appreciation for the "transparency and candor" of Petraeus and Crocker, who underscored that the Iraqi government, while making some progress, faces many severe challenges in the months and years ahead.
Addressing the frustrations of citizens and officials, al-Rubaie said the government wished it were further along but it is doing what it can on all fronts -- militarily, politically, and economically. He noted that despite "progress," there have been "setbacks" in what has been a "most difficult path." "We Iraqis are, of course, impatient and we wish our progress was more rapid. We understand this as well as the impatience and disappointment of our coalition supporters who expected more, sooner."
Al-Rubaie said the armed forces that were built from scratch in the post-Saddam Hussein era were making strides. Three years ago, none of the country's 18 provinces were under Iraqi control. Today, seven provinces are under full Iraqi security responsibility, and there will be more transfers of power. And he said Iraq has almost 500,000 trained soldiers and police operating against insurgents. By the middle of next year, he said, all the Iraqi army combat units will be "organized, equipped and trained and in operations."
"The capabilities of our security forces are now formidable," he said. And, he said, the citizenry is turning against "our common enemy," a reference to the "tribal awakening" of Iraqis who are turning against militants, such as al Qaeda in Iraq. Such a development has been touted in Iraq's Anbar province. He said Iraq has just published a national security strategy, he said.
"With the significant and visible success of the current security operation and the increasing capabilities of Iraqi forces, we anticipate in the near term, the relaxation of the requirement for coalition forces in direct combat operations," al-Rubaie said. "We will work with our coalition partners to make sure the coalition requirement in Iraq will take into consideration ... Iraqi capabilities and security conditions on the ground." The political arena is of greatest concern to the U.S. government and its citizens. The Nuri al-Maliki government has been beset by partisan bickering, sectarian tensions and bloc walkouts, and the Iraqi parliament has not yet passed key legislation.
He thanked the United States and other coalition allies for its "selfless commitment" to Iraq. But al-Rubaie's rhetoric, while optimistic, was cautionary as well: dangers are literally around the corner. "Trust and mutual respect are still difficult and enormously hindered by the continuous attacks of the terrorists and extremists -- particularly foreign terrorists. We are not yet completely free to shape our future," he said.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Mowaffak al-Rubaie
Iraqi politicians react positively to Petraeus' report
Politics
(Gulf News) - Most of the Iraqi political elite have expressed their relief at the long-awaited testimony of General David Petraeus and the American Ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker to the US Congress debating Iraq's situation. Omar Abdul Sattar, a prominent leader in the Sunni Islamic Party of the Accordance Front, told Gulf News: "As for General Petraeus' testimony about the security situation in Iraq, the General managed to put the facts and he expressed them so accurately unlike Ambassador Crocker."
He added: "Americans, according to Petraeus, succeeded in the Sunni Al Anbar province and formed local leaders to fight Al Qaida and this is a significant security achievement and I think Americans will go ahead after the testimony to enhance the formation of a local leader policy to maintain security in Iraq."
The former Minster of Culture in the Kurdistan region, Sami Shorish close to Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, told Gulf News: "Iraqi leaders, especially the Kurds, are very optimistic about the Petraeus-Crocker report unlike the Baker-Hamilton report particularly on what General Petraeus said about a significant improvement in the security situation in Baghdad and Al Anbar provinces." We were also optimistic about statements concerning the Syrian-Iranian threat (to Iraqi stability), he added.
Abu Akbar Al Saadi, a prominent leader in the Supreme Islamic Council led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, told Gulf News: "The report was balanced and General Petraeus was successful in determining the main factors to maintain the security situation and there are indeed security achievements on the ground, especially changing the Iraqi Sunni attitude against Al Qaida, besides Petraeus' remarks concerning Iran and Syria represent a conformist view with the Iraqi government because the neighbouring countries have an important role in sustaining security and stability in Iraq."
Notably most of Iraq's political elites are satisfied with the Petraeus testimony for two reasons, firstly his remarks about progress regarding the security situation, and secondly: his praise of the role of Iraqi security forces in addressing terrorism.
Hashim Al Hashimi, a leader in the Fadhila Party, told Gulf News: "I affirmed what General Petraeus mentioned about achieving security progress but what Ambassador Crocker said was confusing about the political situation."
Talal Al Saadi, a leader in the Shiite Sadr trend, told Gulf News: "The Petraeus-Crocker report does not mean anything to the trend. The important thing to us is to schedule the American troops' withdrawal from Iraq. As for the security situation in the Al Anbar Province, I think it is a fallacy because the Americans armed former members of Al Qaida to strike Al Qaida and this is a dangerous matter and will cause catastrophe to Iraq."
He added: "Americans, according to Petraeus, succeeded in the Sunni Al Anbar province and formed local leaders to fight Al Qaida and this is a significant security achievement and I think Americans will go ahead after the testimony to enhance the formation of a local leader policy to maintain security in Iraq."
The former Minster of Culture in the Kurdistan region, Sami Shorish close to Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, told Gulf News: "Iraqi leaders, especially the Kurds, are very optimistic about the Petraeus-Crocker report unlike the Baker-Hamilton report particularly on what General Petraeus said about a significant improvement in the security situation in Baghdad and Al Anbar provinces." We were also optimistic about statements concerning the Syrian-Iranian threat (to Iraqi stability), he added.
Abu Akbar Al Saadi, a prominent leader in the Supreme Islamic Council led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, told Gulf News: "The report was balanced and General Petraeus was successful in determining the main factors to maintain the security situation and there are indeed security achievements on the ground, especially changing the Iraqi Sunni attitude against Al Qaida, besides Petraeus' remarks concerning Iran and Syria represent a conformist view with the Iraqi government because the neighbouring countries have an important role in sustaining security and stability in Iraq."
Notably most of Iraq's political elites are satisfied with the Petraeus testimony for two reasons, firstly his remarks about progress regarding the security situation, and secondly: his praise of the role of Iraqi security forces in addressing terrorism.
Hashim Al Hashimi, a leader in the Fadhila Party, told Gulf News: "I affirmed what General Petraeus mentioned about achieving security progress but what Ambassador Crocker said was confusing about the political situation."
Talal Al Saadi, a leader in the Shiite Sadr trend, told Gulf News: "The Petraeus-Crocker report does not mean anything to the trend. The important thing to us is to schedule the American troops' withdrawal from Iraq. As for the security situation in the Al Anbar Province, I think it is a fallacy because the Americans armed former members of Al Qaida to strike Al Qaida and this is a dangerous matter and will cause catastrophe to Iraq."
Labels: Abu Akbar Al Saadi, Fadhela party, General David Petraeus, Hashim Al Hashimi, Iraqi Accordance Front, Omar Abdul Sattar, Ryan Crocker, Sadr bloc, Sami Shorish, SIIC, Talal Al Saadi
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Petraeus - surge is meeting objectives
(Al Jazeera) - General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, has told the US congress the military "surge" in Iraq is "meeting military objectives" and predicted a reduction in troop numbers by next summer. He said a gradual reduction of US troops could begin as early as this month, with troop numbers returning to the "pre-surge level" by July.
His testimony came eight months after the US sent 30,000 extra troops to the country and was backed up by Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, who said a secure stable Iraq was attainable. The hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday was repeatedly disrupted by anti-war protesters. Later this week the White House is due to release an official report on the "surge" strategy, which will include Monday's testimony.
Petraeus recommended that US forces be reduced by 4,000 troops in December with more to follow next year that would bring the total number back to "pre-surge" levels by the Summer of 2008. "I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level ... by next summer without jeopardising the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve."He said that a "premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences".Civilian fatalities
Petraeus said that the security situation had improved, particularly in the Western province of Anbar, but acknowledged that the number of civilian deaths was still too high and of "obvious concern". As he was addressing congress, there were reports from the military that nine US soldiers had been killed in Iraq, including seven personnel in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad.
Testifying alongside Petraeus, the US ambassador to Iraq said that although he could not guarantee "success" in Iraq, he believed "it is still possible to achieve a stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbours". But Crocker warned it would be slow coming and said a new Iraq had to be built "from scratch". Crocker also said that Iran "will be a winner" if the US leaves Iraq by consolidating the country's influence over the country and its resources.
"The military objectives of the surge are being met." "I believe that we will be able to reduce our troop presence to pre-surge levels by next summer." "The level of civilian deaths is clearly still too high and continues to be of serious concern." "In Baghdad, 'ethno-sectarian' deaths are down 80 per cent since December." "The change in the security situation in Anbar province has been particularly dramatic." "The number of high-profile attacks is still too high.""Al-Qaeda is still not defeated. However, it is off balance and we are pursuing its leaders aggressively." "Iran seeks to fight a proxy war in Iraq."
Addressing congress before Petraeus' testimony, Tom Lantos, a senior Democrat, described the Bush administration's policy in Iraq as "myopic". "The majority of this congress and the American people want our troops out," he said. "The administration's myopic policy in Iraq have created a fiasco."George Bush, the US president, has repeatedly asked for congress and the American people to listen to the evidence in the hearing before making any judgments on his administration's strategy in Iraq.
His testimony came eight months after the US sent 30,000 extra troops to the country and was backed up by Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, who said a secure stable Iraq was attainable. The hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday was repeatedly disrupted by anti-war protesters. Later this week the White House is due to release an official report on the "surge" strategy, which will include Monday's testimony.
Petraeus recommended that US forces be reduced by 4,000 troops in December with more to follow next year that would bring the total number back to "pre-surge" levels by the Summer of 2008. "I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level ... by next summer without jeopardising the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve."He said that a "premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences".Civilian fatalities
Petraeus said that the security situation had improved, particularly in the Western province of Anbar, but acknowledged that the number of civilian deaths was still too high and of "obvious concern". As he was addressing congress, there were reports from the military that nine US soldiers had been killed in Iraq, including seven personnel in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad.
Testifying alongside Petraeus, the US ambassador to Iraq said that although he could not guarantee "success" in Iraq, he believed "it is still possible to achieve a stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbours". But Crocker warned it would be slow coming and said a new Iraq had to be built "from scratch". Crocker also said that Iran "will be a winner" if the US leaves Iraq by consolidating the country's influence over the country and its resources.
"The military objectives of the surge are being met." "I believe that we will be able to reduce our troop presence to pre-surge levels by next summer." "The level of civilian deaths is clearly still too high and continues to be of serious concern." "In Baghdad, 'ethno-sectarian' deaths are down 80 per cent since December." "The change in the security situation in Anbar province has been particularly dramatic." "The number of high-profile attacks is still too high.""Al-Qaeda is still not defeated. However, it is off balance and we are pursuing its leaders aggressively." "Iran seeks to fight a proxy war in Iraq."
Addressing congress before Petraeus' testimony, Tom Lantos, a senior Democrat, described the Bush administration's policy in Iraq as "myopic". "The majority of this congress and the American people want our troops out," he said. "The administration's myopic policy in Iraq have created a fiasco."George Bush, the US president, has repeatedly asked for congress and the American people to listen to the evidence in the hearing before making any judgments on his administration's strategy in Iraq.
Kimberly Halkett, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, says Bush has great faith in Petraeus and Crocker and was reportedly not going to listen to the hearing. Petraeus fulfilled predictions that he would ask for more time to fully implement his strategy and approve a partial troop withdrawal. Josh Rushing, Al Jazeera's military analyst, said the offer to bring home US troops was a "political bone".
Key comments by Ryan Crocker
"There will be no single point at which we can claim victory."
"It is possible for the United States to see its goals realised in Iraq."
"It is no exaggeration to say Iraq is ... a traumatised society."
"Iraqis are facing the most profound political and economic challenges imaginable.""The trajectory of political, economic and diplomatic developments in Iraq is upwards, although the slope of that line is not steep."
"The seeds of reconciliation are being planted."
"Prime Minister Maliki and other Iraqi leaders face enormous obstacles in efforts to govern effectively."He said: "The army can't sustain the deployment they have now without changing the rotation system.
"So he's looking at having to draw down by next spring. They are overstretched." Zibakalam Sadegh, a professor of political science at Tehran university, dismissed claims by Crocker that Iran would benefit from continued instability in Iraq."Whatever has gone wrong and whenever there are security failures, they keep blaming Iran for that," he told Al Jazeera. "None of the American leaders have ever been able to answer the simple question of 'what has Iran to gain from insecurity in Iraq?'.
"Indeed, Iran has everything to gain from a stable Iraq." Further congressional hearings will take place on Tuesday when the two men will discuss whether the overall strategy in the country is working.
Key comments by Ryan Crocker
"There will be no single point at which we can claim victory."
"It is possible for the United States to see its goals realised in Iraq."
"It is no exaggeration to say Iraq is ... a traumatised society."
"Iraqis are facing the most profound political and economic challenges imaginable.""The trajectory of political, economic and diplomatic developments in Iraq is upwards, although the slope of that line is not steep."
"The seeds of reconciliation are being planted."
"Prime Minister Maliki and other Iraqi leaders face enormous obstacles in efforts to govern effectively."He said: "The army can't sustain the deployment they have now without changing the rotation system.
"So he's looking at having to draw down by next spring. They are overstretched." Zibakalam Sadegh, a professor of political science at Tehran university, dismissed claims by Crocker that Iran would benefit from continued instability in Iraq."Whatever has gone wrong and whenever there are security failures, they keep blaming Iran for that," he told Al Jazeera. "None of the American leaders have ever been able to answer the simple question of 'what has Iran to gain from insecurity in Iraq?'.
"Indeed, Iran has everything to gain from a stable Iraq." Further congressional hearings will take place on Tuesday when the two men will discuss whether the overall strategy in the country is working.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Ryan Crocker, U.S. troop reduction
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Petraeus hints at withdrawal next year
Security
(The Guardian) - America's leading military commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, last night signalled that the Bush administration may be ready to reverse its troop surge in Iraq and begin pulling soldiers out as early as next March.
Only days before he is to deliver his progress report to Congress on the 'surge', Gen Petraeus told ABC television he did not forsee maintaining present troop levels in Iraq because of the strain on the military. "The surge will run its course. There are limits to what our military can provide, so my recommendations have to be informed by, not driven by, but they have to be informed by the strain we have put on our military services," he told ABC during an interview in Baghdad.
The general refused to be more specific. But asked whether the US would begin pulling out the 30,000 extra forces deployed during the 'surge' by next March, he replied: "Your calculations are about right." Another official told ABC the reduction could begin as early as December with further withdrawals every 45 days.
Yesterday's interview came a day after George Bush made a surprise visit to a US air base in Anbar province. Mr Bush also raised the possibility of withdrawing some forces from Iraq, but warned Congress he would not bow to public opinion in setting his war strategy. The US forces in Iraq rose to more than 160,000 after Mr Bush ordered more troops into the war zone earlier this year.
Mr Bush's direction of the war also came under attack from an unexpected quarter yesterday: Paul Bremer, who in 2003 was America's proconsul in Baghdad. An angry Mr Bremer released two letters to the New York Times yesterday to reject Mr Bush's comments that the official had acted on his own accord in committing one of the most calamitous mistakes of the Iraq war. The disbanding of Saddam's military left hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers stranded without jobs or income, and is recognised as one of the most disastrous measures undertaken by Mr Bremer.
Mr Bremer told the newspaper he sent a draft of the order to the Pentagon on May 9 2003 and that it had been circulated to the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and other officials. In the first letter, from Mr Bremer to the president, dated May 22 2003, Mr Bremer writes at length about Iraqis weeping tears of joy at their liberation, and the dissolution of Saddam's ruling Ba'ath party. He deals with the disbanding of the army in a single sentence. "I will parallel this step with an even more robust measure dissolving Saddam's military and intelligence structures to emphasise that we mean business."
The breezy tone was at odds with the opposition from US military officials at the time. Mr Bush responded the next day, in a brief reply sent from his ranch in Texas. Though it was such a big step in the de-Ba'athification process, there is no direct reference to dissolving Saddam's army. "Your leadership is apparent. You have quickly made a positive and significant impact. You have my full support and confidence. You also have the backing of our administration," Mr Bush writes.
Only days before he is to deliver his progress report to Congress on the 'surge', Gen Petraeus told ABC television he did not forsee maintaining present troop levels in Iraq because of the strain on the military. "The surge will run its course. There are limits to what our military can provide, so my recommendations have to be informed by, not driven by, but they have to be informed by the strain we have put on our military services," he told ABC during an interview in Baghdad.
The general refused to be more specific. But asked whether the US would begin pulling out the 30,000 extra forces deployed during the 'surge' by next March, he replied: "Your calculations are about right." Another official told ABC the reduction could begin as early as December with further withdrawals every 45 days.
Yesterday's interview came a day after George Bush made a surprise visit to a US air base in Anbar province. Mr Bush also raised the possibility of withdrawing some forces from Iraq, but warned Congress he would not bow to public opinion in setting his war strategy. The US forces in Iraq rose to more than 160,000 after Mr Bush ordered more troops into the war zone earlier this year.
Mr Bush's direction of the war also came under attack from an unexpected quarter yesterday: Paul Bremer, who in 2003 was America's proconsul in Baghdad. An angry Mr Bremer released two letters to the New York Times yesterday to reject Mr Bush's comments that the official had acted on his own accord in committing one of the most calamitous mistakes of the Iraq war. The disbanding of Saddam's military left hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers stranded without jobs or income, and is recognised as one of the most disastrous measures undertaken by Mr Bremer.
Mr Bremer told the newspaper he sent a draft of the order to the Pentagon on May 9 2003 and that it had been circulated to the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and other officials. In the first letter, from Mr Bremer to the president, dated May 22 2003, Mr Bremer writes at length about Iraqis weeping tears of joy at their liberation, and the dissolution of Saddam's ruling Ba'ath party. He deals with the disbanding of the army in a single sentence. "I will parallel this step with an even more robust measure dissolving Saddam's military and intelligence structures to emphasise that we mean business."
The breezy tone was at odds with the opposition from US military officials at the time. Mr Bush responded the next day, in a brief reply sent from his ranch in Texas. Though it was such a big step in the de-Ba'athification process, there is no direct reference to dissolving Saddam's army. "Your leadership is apparent. You have quickly made a positive and significant impact. You have my full support and confidence. You also have the backing of our administration," Mr Bush writes.
Labels: former Iraqi Army, General David Petraeus, Paul Bremer, U.S. troop reduction
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Bush in attempt to highlight Al Anbar 'success' story
Security
(Al Jazeera) - US military tactics in Iraq's al-Anbar province are working and troop levels could be cut if similar "successes" are repeated across the country, the US president has insisted. George Bush spoke during a surprise Iraq visit on Monday before a key military report is presented to the US congress on the increase in American troop levels.
Amid a rising death toll among US soldiers, currently estimated at 3,700, and growing calls from the Democratic party and some fellow Republicans for a troop withdrawal, Bush is under increasing pressure to withdraw American troops from Iraq. The US president told marines at al-Asad air base: "Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq."
However, David Isenberg, a national security expert based in Washington, said: "Any place can be saved temporarily if you pump enough troops into it. "Anbar province has had a reduction in violence but that has very little to do with the 'surge'." Bush said any troop reduction would be based on "a calm assessment by our military commanders on the conditions on the ground" and "made from a position of strength".
At the air base, Bush also held what he called "good, frank" talks with leaders of Iraq's Shia Muslim, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities, including Nuri al-Maliki, the prime minister, and Jalal Talabani, the president. Bush's trip to Iraq coincided with the withdrawal of British troops from their last base in the southern city of Basra amid tensions between Washington and its main ally over their policy in Iraq.
Isenberg said: "Factions still run the city [Basra] - there is no rule of law. "People feel compelled to join factions for their own safety. The region is still essentially a Wild West." The US president departed from Iraq shortly before 20:00 GMT on Monday, Cynthia Bergman, a White House spokeswoman, said.
Bush made the trip primarily to hold a "war council" with senior US and Iraqi officials before a report by General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, on the effect of the "surge" in US troop levels. "You are denying al-Qaeda a safe haven from which to plot and plan and carry out attacks against the United States of America," he told US soldiers who roared their approval.
He landed in al-Anbar province, once a Sunni Arab fighter stronghold now seen by the US military as a success story. The drop in violence in al-Anbar has been attributed to Sunni Arab leaders joining forces with the US military to combat al-Qaeda fighters. But security officials said that shortly before Bush's arrival, two car bombs went off in Ramadi, the provincial capital, killing four people and wounding 10. In Baghdad, police found 15 corpses of men shot dead.
Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said it would be political suicide for Bush to begin a real troop withdrawal in Iraq. "The US cannot withdraw from the Iraq because it will be humiliating for the American empire."
Amid a rising death toll among US soldiers, currently estimated at 3,700, and growing calls from the Democratic party and some fellow Republicans for a troop withdrawal, Bush is under increasing pressure to withdraw American troops from Iraq. The US president told marines at al-Asad air base: "Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq."
However, David Isenberg, a national security expert based in Washington, said: "Any place can be saved temporarily if you pump enough troops into it. "Anbar province has had a reduction in violence but that has very little to do with the 'surge'." Bush said any troop reduction would be based on "a calm assessment by our military commanders on the conditions on the ground" and "made from a position of strength".
At the air base, Bush also held what he called "good, frank" talks with leaders of Iraq's Shia Muslim, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities, including Nuri al-Maliki, the prime minister, and Jalal Talabani, the president. Bush's trip to Iraq coincided with the withdrawal of British troops from their last base in the southern city of Basra amid tensions between Washington and its main ally over their policy in Iraq.
Isenberg said: "Factions still run the city [Basra] - there is no rule of law. "People feel compelled to join factions for their own safety. The region is still essentially a Wild West." The US president departed from Iraq shortly before 20:00 GMT on Monday, Cynthia Bergman, a White House spokeswoman, said.
Bush made the trip primarily to hold a "war council" with senior US and Iraqi officials before a report by General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, on the effect of the "surge" in US troop levels. "You are denying al-Qaeda a safe haven from which to plot and plan and carry out attacks against the United States of America," he told US soldiers who roared their approval.
He landed in al-Anbar province, once a Sunni Arab fighter stronghold now seen by the US military as a success story. The drop in violence in al-Anbar has been attributed to Sunni Arab leaders joining forces with the US military to combat al-Qaeda fighters. But security officials said that shortly before Bush's arrival, two car bombs went off in Ramadi, the provincial capital, killing four people and wounding 10. In Baghdad, police found 15 corpses of men shot dead.
Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said it would be political suicide for Bush to begin a real troop withdrawal in Iraq. "The US cannot withdraw from the Iraq because it will be humiliating for the American empire."
Bush was accompanied by Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, and Stephen Hadley, his national security adviser. Waiting for them at the air base were Robert Gates, the defence secretary, and General Peter Pace, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said: "This is the last big gathering of the president's military advisers and the Iraqi leadership before the president decides on the way forward."
Next week, Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Baghdad, are to testify before congress. They will focus on the impact of Bush's decision to send an additional 30,000 US soldiers to Iraq, a so-called "surge" that increased force numbers to 160,000.Their assessment of the conflict, along with a progress report the White House must hand legislators by September 15, is expected to determine the next phase of US military involvement in Iraq.
Next week, Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Baghdad, are to testify before congress. They will focus on the impact of Bush's decision to send an additional 30,000 US soldiers to Iraq, a so-called "surge" that increased force numbers to 160,000.Their assessment of the conflict, along with a progress report the White House must hand legislators by September 15, is expected to determine the next phase of US military involvement in Iraq.
Labels: Al Anbar, car bombs, General David Petraeus, George Bush, Jalal Talabani, Nouri Al-Maliki, Ryan Crocker
Monday, August 06, 2007
190,000 weapons missing in Iraq
Security
(BBC) - The US military cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to the Iraqi security forces, an official US report says. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Pentagon cannot track about 30% of the weapons distributed in Iraq over the past three years. The Pentagon did not dispute the figures, but said it was reviewing arms deliveries procedures.
About $19.2bn has been spent by the US since 2003 on Iraqi security forces. GAO, the investigative arm of the US Congress, said at least $2.8bn of this money was used to buy and deliver weapons and other equipment. Correspondents say it is now feared many of the weapons are being used against US forces on the ground in Iraq.
The GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005.
MISSING IRAQ WEAPONS
AK-47 rifles: 110,000
Pistols: 80,000
Body armour pieces: 135,000
Helmets: 115,000
During this period, security training was led by Gen David Petraeus, who now commands all US forces in Iraq.
The GAO reached the estimate - 111,000 missing AK-47s and 80,000 missing pistols - by comparing the property records of the Multi-National Security Transition Command for Iraq against records maintained by Gen Petraeus of the arms and equipment he ordered.
Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary Mark Kimmitt told AFP the Pentagon was "reviewing policies and procedures to ensure US-funded equipment reaches the intended Iraqi security forces under the Iraq program". The report comes as a political battle rages in Washington over the progress of the war in Iraq.
Gen Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are scheduled to report to Congress by mid-September on the success of efforts to halt sectarian violence and return Iraq to viable self-governance. Meanwhile, at the end of July, the US Defence Department admitted that the US-led coalition in Iraq had failed to deliver nearly two-thirds of the equipment it promised to Iraq's army.
The Pentagon said only 14.5m of the nearly 40m items of equipment ordered by the Iraqi army had been provided. The US military commander in charge of training in Iraq has asked for help in speeding up the transfer of equipment. Iraq's ambassador to the US said the delays were hindering the fighting capacity of its armed forces.
About $19.2bn has been spent by the US since 2003 on Iraqi security forces. GAO, the investigative arm of the US Congress, said at least $2.8bn of this money was used to buy and deliver weapons and other equipment. Correspondents say it is now feared many of the weapons are being used against US forces on the ground in Iraq.
The GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005.
MISSING IRAQ WEAPONS
AK-47 rifles: 110,000
Pistols: 80,000
Body armour pieces: 135,000
Helmets: 115,000
During this period, security training was led by Gen David Petraeus, who now commands all US forces in Iraq.
The GAO reached the estimate - 111,000 missing AK-47s and 80,000 missing pistols - by comparing the property records of the Multi-National Security Transition Command for Iraq against records maintained by Gen Petraeus of the arms and equipment he ordered.
Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary Mark Kimmitt told AFP the Pentagon was "reviewing policies and procedures to ensure US-funded equipment reaches the intended Iraqi security forces under the Iraq program". The report comes as a political battle rages in Washington over the progress of the war in Iraq.
Gen Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are scheduled to report to Congress by mid-September on the success of efforts to halt sectarian violence and return Iraq to viable self-governance. Meanwhile, at the end of July, the US Defence Department admitted that the US-led coalition in Iraq had failed to deliver nearly two-thirds of the equipment it promised to Iraq's army.
The Pentagon said only 14.5m of the nearly 40m items of equipment ordered by the Iraqi army had been provided. The US military commander in charge of training in Iraq has asked for help in speeding up the transfer of equipment. Iraq's ambassador to the US said the delays were hindering the fighting capacity of its armed forces.
Labels: GAO, General David Petraeus, Iraq, missing weapons, MNSTC-I, Pentagon, Ryan Crocker
Monday, July 30, 2007
Petraeus and al-Maliki clash
Politics
(AP) -- A key aide says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's relations with Gen. David Petraeus are so poor the Iraqi leader may ask Washington to withdraw the overall U.S. commander from his Baghdad post. Iraq's foreign minister calls the relationship "difficult." Petraeus, who says their ties are "very good," acknowledges expressing his "full range of emotions" at times with al-Maliki. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who meets with both at least weekly, concedes "sometimes there are sporty exchanges."
It seems less a clash of personality than of policy. The Shiite Muslim prime minister has reacted most sharply to the American general's tactic of enlisting Sunni militants, presumably including past killers of Iraqi Shiites, as allies in the fight against al-Qaida here. An associate said al-Maliki once, in discussion with President Bush, even threatened to counter this by arming Shiite militias.
A tangle of issues confronts them, none with easy solutions:
- Al-Maliki, a Shiite activist who spent the Saddam Hussein years in exile, hotly objects to the recent U.S. practice of recruiting tribal groups tied to the Sunni insurgency for the fight against the Sunni extremists of al-Qaida, deemed "Enemy No. 1" by the Americans. His loud complaints have won little but a U.S. pledge to let al-Maliki's security apparatus screen the recruits.
- Aides say the Iraqi leader also has spoken bitterly about delivery delays of promised U.S. weapons and equipment for his forces.
- Petraeus, meanwhile, must deal with an Iraqi military and police force, nominally under al-Maliki's control, that often acts out of sectarian, namely Shiite, interests, and not national Iraqi interests. He faces a significant challenge in persuading al-Maliki to shed his ties to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who runs the Mahdi Army militia.
- On the political front, Crocker is grappling with the prime minister's seeming foot-dragging or ineffectiveness in pushing through an oil-industry law and other legislation seen as critical benchmarks by the U.S. government. Reporting to Congress in September, Crocker may have to explain such Iraqi inaction while U.S. troops are fighting and dying to give al-Maliki political breathing space.
First word of strained relations began leaking out with consistency earlier this month. Sami al-Askari, a key aide to al-Maliki and a member of the prime minister's Dawa Party, said the policy of incorporating one-time Sunni insurgents into the security forces shows Petraeus has a "real bias and it bothers the Shiites," whose communities have been targeted by Sunnis in Iraq's sectarian conflict.
"It is possible that we may demand his removal," al-Askari said.
A lawmaker from the al-Sadr bloc, who wouldn't allow use of his name because of the political sensitivity of the matter, said al-Maliki once told Petraeus: "I can't deal with you anymore. I will ask for someone else to replace you." Such a request isn't likely to get much of a hearing in Washington, where the Bush administration presents Petraeus as one general who can improve the Iraq situation.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Newsweek magazine the Petraeus-al-Maliki relationship is "difficult." For one thing, the Americans retain control of the Iraqi military. "The prime minister cannot just pick up the phone and have Iraqi army units do what he says. Maliki needs more leverage," Zebari said.
The prime minister has complained to President Bush about the policy of arming Sunnis, said the Sadrist lawmaker. "He told Bush that if Petraeus continues doing that, he would arm Shiite militias. Bush told al-Maliki to calm down," according to this parliament member, who said he was told of the exchange by al-Maliki. In Washington, White House officials who have sat in on Bush's video conferences with al-Maliki denied that exchange took place.
It seems less a clash of personality than of policy. The Shiite Muslim prime minister has reacted most sharply to the American general's tactic of enlisting Sunni militants, presumably including past killers of Iraqi Shiites, as allies in the fight against al-Qaida here. An associate said al-Maliki once, in discussion with President Bush, even threatened to counter this by arming Shiite militias.
A tangle of issues confronts them, none with easy solutions:
- Al-Maliki, a Shiite activist who spent the Saddam Hussein years in exile, hotly objects to the recent U.S. practice of recruiting tribal groups tied to the Sunni insurgency for the fight against the Sunni extremists of al-Qaida, deemed "Enemy No. 1" by the Americans. His loud complaints have won little but a U.S. pledge to let al-Maliki's security apparatus screen the recruits.
- Aides say the Iraqi leader also has spoken bitterly about delivery delays of promised U.S. weapons and equipment for his forces.
- Petraeus, meanwhile, must deal with an Iraqi military and police force, nominally under al-Maliki's control, that often acts out of sectarian, namely Shiite, interests, and not national Iraqi interests. He faces a significant challenge in persuading al-Maliki to shed his ties to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who runs the Mahdi Army militia.
- On the political front, Crocker is grappling with the prime minister's seeming foot-dragging or ineffectiveness in pushing through an oil-industry law and other legislation seen as critical benchmarks by the U.S. government. Reporting to Congress in September, Crocker may have to explain such Iraqi inaction while U.S. troops are fighting and dying to give al-Maliki political breathing space.
First word of strained relations began leaking out with consistency earlier this month. Sami al-Askari, a key aide to al-Maliki and a member of the prime minister's Dawa Party, said the policy of incorporating one-time Sunni insurgents into the security forces shows Petraeus has a "real bias and it bothers the Shiites," whose communities have been targeted by Sunnis in Iraq's sectarian conflict.
"It is possible that we may demand his removal," al-Askari said.
A lawmaker from the al-Sadr bloc, who wouldn't allow use of his name because of the political sensitivity of the matter, said al-Maliki once told Petraeus: "I can't deal with you anymore. I will ask for someone else to replace you." Such a request isn't likely to get much of a hearing in Washington, where the Bush administration presents Petraeus as one general who can improve the Iraq situation.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Newsweek magazine the Petraeus-al-Maliki relationship is "difficult." For one thing, the Americans retain control of the Iraqi military. "The prime minister cannot just pick up the phone and have Iraqi army units do what he says. Maliki needs more leverage," Zebari said.
The prime minister has complained to President Bush about the policy of arming Sunnis, said the Sadrist lawmaker. "He told Bush that if Petraeus continues doing that, he would arm Shiite militias. Bush told al-Maliki to calm down," according to this parliament member, who said he was told of the exchange by al-Maliki. In Washington, White House officials who have sat in on Bush's video conferences with al-Maliki denied that exchange took place.
Labels: Al Qaeda, General David Petraeus, Hoshyar Zibari, Nouri Al-Maliki, Ryan Crocker, Sami al-Askari, Shiite militias, Sunni militants
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Planners Set 2008 Goal for Iraq Security
Security
(AP) -- A revised U.S. military plan envisions establishing security at the local level in Baghdad and elsewhere by next summer, it likely would take another year to get Iraqi forces ready to enforce any newfound stability, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Known as the Joint Campaign Plan, developed in tandem by Gen. David Petraeus and his political counterpart in Baghdad, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, it reflects a timetable starkly at odds with the push by many in Congress to wind down U.S. involvement in a matter of months.
Petraeus and Crocker are due to testify before Congress in September on how the current strategy is working and whether it needs to be revised. The strategy was announced in broad terms by President Bush in January, when he ordered five extra Army brigades to Baghdad to help implement it. But the more detailed campaign plan was developed in the months following - not to alter the strategy but to give it depth, with detailed avenues of approach.
Col. Steve Boylan, chief spokesman for Petraeus, said the plan is still in the final editing stages and has not yet been put fully into effect. He said that while it sets an initial goal of achieving localized security by summer 2008, it does not make assumptions about specific levels of U.S. troops between now and then - including how long the five extra brigades will stay.
The campaign plan's timeline was first reported in Tuesday's editions of the New York Times. Boylan stressed in a telephone interview that like any military campaign plan, this one is subject to revision as conditions on the ground evolve. Thus the summer 2008 goal, he said, should be seen as "a place holder, a mark on the wall," not an immovable commitment.
The plan envisions using locally based security initiatives, such as those that in western Anbar province have proven successful in reducing insurgent violence this year, as a starting point. Such efforts are now under way elsewhere in Iraq, including some parts of Baghdad. That approach, it is hoped, will encourage movement at the national level to achieve political reconciliation, which is the ultimate objective.
There are early signs, however, that the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unwilling to move in that direction. His office has expressed anger at recent U.S. efforts to empower local Sunni groups in an alliance against the al-Qaida in Iraq insurgent group - apparently out of suspicion that these Sunni groups will become extralegal militias allied against his government.
The Petraeus-Crocker plan is based on more than military strategy. It factors in a combination of political, economic, security and diplomatic efforts - along the lines Bush has described in recent months - plus actions to be taken by the Iraqi government. That includes movement on long-stalled legislation on oil-sharing, plus measures to bring more Sunnis who were members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government, and other measures designed to promote reconciliation and build a government of national unity.
Petraeus began developing the plan shortly after he arrived in Baghdad in February to replace Gen. George Casey, whose campaign plan focused more on transferring security responsibility to the Iraqi government than on establishing security throughout the capital. Stephen Biddle, who was a member of a group that advised Petraeus last spring on development of the strategy, said in a recent interview that he saw little chance of success if the U.S. military continued to try to establish security, unconditionally, across all of Baghdad.
A better approach, Biddle said, is to use U.S. military power more selectively in a "carrot-and-stick" approach that rewards insurgent groups that choose to accept offers of a cease-fire. They would not be forcibly disarmed; they would choose to stop fighting. Those who refuse to cooperate would be dealt with militarily.
Even that more nuanced approach, in Biddle's estimation, stands only about a 10-in-1 chance of succeeding.
Many Democrats in Congress have argued that the only way to force al-Maliki's government into movement on the political front is to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Some argue this should begin as early as this year, or at least by next spring.
Petraeus and Crocker are due to testify before Congress in September on how the current strategy is working and whether it needs to be revised. The strategy was announced in broad terms by President Bush in January, when he ordered five extra Army brigades to Baghdad to help implement it. But the more detailed campaign plan was developed in the months following - not to alter the strategy but to give it depth, with detailed avenues of approach.
Col. Steve Boylan, chief spokesman for Petraeus, said the plan is still in the final editing stages and has not yet been put fully into effect. He said that while it sets an initial goal of achieving localized security by summer 2008, it does not make assumptions about specific levels of U.S. troops between now and then - including how long the five extra brigades will stay.
The campaign plan's timeline was first reported in Tuesday's editions of the New York Times. Boylan stressed in a telephone interview that like any military campaign plan, this one is subject to revision as conditions on the ground evolve. Thus the summer 2008 goal, he said, should be seen as "a place holder, a mark on the wall," not an immovable commitment.
The plan envisions using locally based security initiatives, such as those that in western Anbar province have proven successful in reducing insurgent violence this year, as a starting point. Such efforts are now under way elsewhere in Iraq, including some parts of Baghdad. That approach, it is hoped, will encourage movement at the national level to achieve political reconciliation, which is the ultimate objective.
There are early signs, however, that the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unwilling to move in that direction. His office has expressed anger at recent U.S. efforts to empower local Sunni groups in an alliance against the al-Qaida in Iraq insurgent group - apparently out of suspicion that these Sunni groups will become extralegal militias allied against his government.
The Petraeus-Crocker plan is based on more than military strategy. It factors in a combination of political, economic, security and diplomatic efforts - along the lines Bush has described in recent months - plus actions to be taken by the Iraqi government. That includes movement on long-stalled legislation on oil-sharing, plus measures to bring more Sunnis who were members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government, and other measures designed to promote reconciliation and build a government of national unity.
Petraeus began developing the plan shortly after he arrived in Baghdad in February to replace Gen. George Casey, whose campaign plan focused more on transferring security responsibility to the Iraqi government than on establishing security throughout the capital. Stephen Biddle, who was a member of a group that advised Petraeus last spring on development of the strategy, said in a recent interview that he saw little chance of success if the U.S. military continued to try to establish security, unconditionally, across all of Baghdad.
A better approach, Biddle said, is to use U.S. military power more selectively in a "carrot-and-stick" approach that rewards insurgent groups that choose to accept offers of a cease-fire. They would not be forcibly disarmed; they would choose to stop fighting. Those who refuse to cooperate would be dealt with militarily.
Even that more nuanced approach, in Biddle's estimation, stands only about a 10-in-1 chance of succeeding.
Many Democrats in Congress have argued that the only way to force al-Maliki's government into movement on the political front is to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Some argue this should begin as early as this year, or at least by next spring.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Joint Campaign Plan, Ryan Crocker
Monday, July 16, 2007
Al-Maliki says US troops "can leave any time they want"
Security, Politics
(Al Jazeera) - Iraq's prime minister has cast off US doubts over his government's military and political progress, saying Iraqi forces are capable and US troops can leave "any time they want". Nuri al-Maliki's comments came on Saturday, after one of his aids accused US forces of committing human rights violations and arming "gangs of killers".
At a time when pressure is mounting in the US for George Bush, the US president, to withdraw American troops from Iraq, al-Maliki has said his administration needs "time and effort" to enact the political reforms called for by Washington. "Particularly since the political process is facing security, economic and services pressures, as well as regional and international interference," said al-Maliki.
At a time when pressure is mounting in the US for George Bush, the US president, to withdraw American troops from Iraq, al-Maliki has said his administration needs "time and effort" to enact the political reforms called for by Washington. "Particularly since the political process is facing security, economic and services pressures, as well as regional and international interference," said al-Maliki.
But he said if necessary, Iraqi police and soldiers could fill the void left by the departure of coalition forces. "We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at any time they want," he said.
Meanwhile, Hassan al-Suneid, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press on Saturday that al-Maliki has problems with General David Petraeus, the chief US commander in Iraq. He said US troops have embarrassed the Iraqi government and that General Petraeus was working along a "purely American vision". Al-Suneid said the US military strategy is to "arm whoever is against al-Qaeda at a time when there are gangs against al-Qaeda that kill. These are gangs of killers." He was referring to US overtures to groups in Anbar and Diyala, encouraging former anti-government fighters to join the fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The US military insists it is not arming groups to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. Instead, officials say they are re-directing them away from attacks on US troops to confront al-Qaeda in Iraq. "We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist'". Al-Suneid warned that these armed groups will retain their weapons in the future because of the US overtures.
He also said US authorities have embarrassed the al-Maliki government through acts such as constructing walls in Baghdad and repeated raids on Sadr City. Al-Suneid said: "Al-Maliki finds difficulty in understanding [Petraeus] because he moves with a purely American vision, and reality needs a co-ordinated mutual vision."
Al-Maliki's adviser denounced the heavy use of arms by US troops against suspected fighters as human rights violations. He said US forces use methods that produce results fast, including "building walls, random killings, detentions in ways that are far from human rights and this embarrasses the government in front of its people".
"We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist,"' he said.
Meanwhile, Hassan al-Suneid, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press on Saturday that al-Maliki has problems with General David Petraeus, the chief US commander in Iraq. He said US troops have embarrassed the Iraqi government and that General Petraeus was working along a "purely American vision". Al-Suneid said the US military strategy is to "arm whoever is against al-Qaeda at a time when there are gangs against al-Qaeda that kill. These are gangs of killers." He was referring to US overtures to groups in Anbar and Diyala, encouraging former anti-government fighters to join the fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The US military insists it is not arming groups to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. Instead, officials say they are re-directing them away from attacks on US troops to confront al-Qaeda in Iraq. "We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist'". Al-Suneid warned that these armed groups will retain their weapons in the future because of the US overtures.
He also said US authorities have embarrassed the al-Maliki government through acts such as constructing walls in Baghdad and repeated raids on Sadr City. Al-Suneid said: "Al-Maliki finds difficulty in understanding [Petraeus] because he moves with a purely American vision, and reality needs a co-ordinated mutual vision."
Al-Maliki's adviser denounced the heavy use of arms by US troops against suspected fighters as human rights violations. He said US forces use methods that produce results fast, including "building walls, random killings, detentions in ways that are far from human rights and this embarrasses the government in front of its people".
"We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist,"' he said.
COMMENT: The Iraqi security forces are ill trained, ill equipped and ill prepared to deal with the situation that is Iraq today, and they have been infiltrated with rival militias and lack unity and loyalty to one government. Elements of the government agreed to holding talks with insurgent and resistance groups and bringing them to the political table, this was not purely an American initiative. It appears that Al Sadr still has a strong grip on Maliki if this is his reaction to raids in Sadr City which doesn't bode well for the disarmament of militias such as the Mahdi Army. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Al Qaeda, General David Petraeus, Hassan al-Suneid, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sadr City, U.S. troop withdrawal
Monday, July 09, 2007
Zebari warns of civil war if quick U.S. withdrawal
Security
(AP article) - Iraq's foreign minister warned Monday that a quick American troop withdrawal could lead to civil war and the collapse of the Iraqi state, adding that the U.S. has a responsibility to build Iraqi forces so that they take over.
Hoshyar Zebari told reporters that the Iraqis "understand the huge pressure that will increase more and more in the United States" ahead of a September report to Congress by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and military commander Gen. David Petraeus. The report will assess progress toward national reconciliation. Leading Republicans say if there is no sign of progress they will demand a change in Iraq policy.
"We have held discussion with members of Congress and explained to them the dangers of a quick pullout and leaving a security vacuum," Zebari, a Kurd, told reporters. "The dangers could be a civil war, dividing the country, regional wars and the collapse of the state. "In our estimation, until Iraqi forces are ready, there is a responsibility on the United States which is to stand with the (government) as the forces are being built," he said.
Hoshyar Zebari told reporters that the Iraqis "understand the huge pressure that will increase more and more in the United States" ahead of a September report to Congress by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and military commander Gen. David Petraeus. The report will assess progress toward national reconciliation. Leading Republicans say if there is no sign of progress they will demand a change in Iraq policy.
"We have held discussion with members of Congress and explained to them the dangers of a quick pullout and leaving a security vacuum," Zebari, a Kurd, told reporters. "The dangers could be a civil war, dividing the country, regional wars and the collapse of the state. "In our estimation, until Iraqi forces are ready, there is a responsibility on the United States which is to stand with the (government) as the forces are being built," he said.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Hoshyar Zibari, Ryan Crocker, U.S. troop withdrawal
Monday, June 25, 2007
Petraeus - Iranian trained militia responsible for kidnapping Brits
Security
(The Times) - A group funded, trained and armed by Iran was responsible for kidnapping five British civilians in Baghdad last month, according to the commander of US forces in Iraq. General David Petraeus told The Times on teh 21st that he believed that the men, four security guards and a consultant, were alive and added that there had been repeated attempts to free them. No demands have been made for their release.
Commandos searching for the hostages have staged a series of raids on suspected terrorist hide-outs. “There have been several operations to try to rescue them, we just have not had the right intelligence,” General Petraeus said. “There is a very intensive effort ongoing to try to locate and rescue them.”
The remarks are the first official acknowledgement of secret hostage rescue efforts that the British authorities refuse to comment on. They are also likely to inflame relations with Iran further. The general said that the terrorist cell responsible had very close ties to the Iranian authorities, but he fell short of accusing Tehran of complicity.
Since the group was snatched from the Finance Ministry in Baghdad three weeks ago, Britain has sent hostage negotiators and antiterrorist experts to help in the hunt. The British Embassy in Baghdad said that staff were working hard to secure their release.
General Petraeus said that Britain and the US had suffered at the hands of the group he blamed for abducting the British hostages. He identified it as a secret cell of al-Mahdi Army. Of the cell responsible for the kidnap, he said: “They are not rank-and-file Jaish al-Mahdi. They are trained in Iran, equipped with Iranian [weapons], and advised by Iran.”
Commandos searching for the hostages have staged a series of raids on suspected terrorist hide-outs. “There have been several operations to try to rescue them, we just have not had the right intelligence,” General Petraeus said. “There is a very intensive effort ongoing to try to locate and rescue them.”
The remarks are the first official acknowledgement of secret hostage rescue efforts that the British authorities refuse to comment on. They are also likely to inflame relations with Iran further. The general said that the terrorist cell responsible had very close ties to the Iranian authorities, but he fell short of accusing Tehran of complicity.
Since the group was snatched from the Finance Ministry in Baghdad three weeks ago, Britain has sent hostage negotiators and antiterrorist experts to help in the hunt. The British Embassy in Baghdad said that staff were working hard to secure their release.
General Petraeus said that Britain and the US had suffered at the hands of the group he blamed for abducting the British hostages. He identified it as a secret cell of al-Mahdi Army. Of the cell responsible for the kidnap, he said: “They are not rank-and-file Jaish al-Mahdi. They are trained in Iran, equipped with Iranian [weapons], and advised by Iran.”
Labels: British hostages, General David Petraeus, Iran, Ministry of Finance
Sunday, May 27, 2007
U.S. may cut troop numbers in Iraq by 50 per cent next year
Security
(Middle East Online) - The White House is working on what officials describe as several "concepts" for reducing the number of US combat troops in Iraq by as much as 50 percent next year, The New York Times reported on its website late Friday. Citing unnamed senior administration officials, the newspaper said the concepts could lower US troop levels in Iraq to roughly 100,000 by the time the 2008 US presidential election moves into high gear.
They would also greatly scale back the mission that President George W. Bush set for the US military when he ordered it in January to win back control of Baghdad and Anbar Province, the report said. The mission would instead focus on the training of Iraqi troops and fighting Al-Qaeda while removing Americans from many of the counter-insurgency efforts inside Baghdad.
But there is no indication that Bush is preparing to call an early end to the current troop increase, The Times said. And one reason officials are talking about their long-range strategy may be to blunt pressure from members of Congress, including some Republicans, who are pushing for a more rapid troop reduction, according to the report.
Proponents of reducing the troops and scaling back their mission next year appear to include Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, it said. They have been joined by generals at the Pentagon and elsewhere who have long been skeptical that the Iraqi government would use the opportunity created by the troop increase to reach genuine political accommodations.
The concepts have been developed without the involvement of the top commanders in Iraq, General David Petraeus and Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, both of whom have been enthusiastic supporters of the troop increase, the paper said. In an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, General Odierno said any withdrawal of American troops was not advisable until December, "at a minimum," The Times said.
Even then, he said, redeployments should be carried out slowly, to avoid jeopardizing security gains. One of the ideas, according to officials cited in the report, would be to reduce the current 20 US combat brigades to about 10, a move which would be completed between the spring of 2008 and the end of the year.
They would also greatly scale back the mission that President George W. Bush set for the US military when he ordered it in January to win back control of Baghdad and Anbar Province, the report said. The mission would instead focus on the training of Iraqi troops and fighting Al-Qaeda while removing Americans from many of the counter-insurgency efforts inside Baghdad.
But there is no indication that Bush is preparing to call an early end to the current troop increase, The Times said. And one reason officials are talking about their long-range strategy may be to blunt pressure from members of Congress, including some Republicans, who are pushing for a more rapid troop reduction, according to the report.
Proponents of reducing the troops and scaling back their mission next year appear to include Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, it said. They have been joined by generals at the Pentagon and elsewhere who have long been skeptical that the Iraqi government would use the opportunity created by the troop increase to reach genuine political accommodations.
The concepts have been developed without the involvement of the top commanders in Iraq, General David Petraeus and Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, both of whom have been enthusiastic supporters of the troop increase, the paper said. In an interview in Baghdad on Thursday, General Odierno said any withdrawal of American troops was not advisable until December, "at a minimum," The Times said.
Even then, he said, redeployments should be carried out slowly, to avoid jeopardizing security gains. One of the ideas, according to officials cited in the report, would be to reduce the current 20 US combat brigades to about 10, a move which would be completed between the spring of 2008 and the end of the year.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, U.S. troop withdrawal
Friday, April 27, 2007
Petraeus warns violence will get worse before it improves
Security
(Reuters) - The United States' struggle to stabilize Iraq may get harder before it gets easier and runs the risk of higher U.S. and Iraqi casualties, the top U.S. commander in charge of the war said on Thursday. Army Gen. David Petraeus provided his assessment the day after the Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives pushed through legislation calling for U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by Oct. 1.
President George W. Bush has pledged to veto the bill, passed by the Senate on Thursday, and Petraeus said sectarian violence in Iraq would likely rise if his troops pulled back from securing Baghdad in the fall. "My sense is that there would be an increase in sectarian violence, a resumption of sectarian violence, were the presence of our forces and Iraqi forces, at that time, to be reduced," Petraeus told reporters at the Pentagon.
He said the new effort to curb violence with more troops, ordered by Bush in January, meant going into neighborhoods where extremists had been able to operate freely. "Because we are operating in new areas and challenging elements in those areas, this effort may get harder before it gets easier," said Petraeus, who has briefed Bush and members of Congress on the war during his visit to Washington.
"I think there is the very real possibility that there's going to be more combat action and that, therefore, there could be more casualties," he said. Petraeus said ultimate success in Iraq would be down to the Iraqis and their ability to reconcile. "We can provide the Iraqis an opportunity but they will have to exploit it," he said.
President George W. Bush has pledged to veto the bill, passed by the Senate on Thursday, and Petraeus said sectarian violence in Iraq would likely rise if his troops pulled back from securing Baghdad in the fall. "My sense is that there would be an increase in sectarian violence, a resumption of sectarian violence, were the presence of our forces and Iraqi forces, at that time, to be reduced," Petraeus told reporters at the Pentagon.
He said the new effort to curb violence with more troops, ordered by Bush in January, meant going into neighborhoods where extremists had been able to operate freely. "Because we are operating in new areas and challenging elements in those areas, this effort may get harder before it gets easier," said Petraeus, who has briefed Bush and members of Congress on the war during his visit to Washington.
"I think there is the very real possibility that there's going to be more combat action and that, therefore, there could be more casualties," he said. Petraeus said ultimate success in Iraq would be down to the Iraqis and their ability to reconcile. "We can provide the Iraqis an opportunity but they will have to exploit it," he said.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Iraq, Iraqi Army, U.S. military, U.S. troop withdrawal, violence
Thursday, April 26, 2007
U.S. House passes legislation to set withdrawal date
Security, U.S.
(The Guardian) - A sharply divided House of Representatives ignored the threat of a presidential veto last night and passed legislation that would order George Bush to begin withdrawing US troops from Iraq in October. The 218-208 vote came as the top US commander in Iraq said that the country remained gripped by violence but was showing some signs of improvement.
The bill is now on track to clear Congress by the weekend and arrive on the president's desk as the first binding congressional challenge to Mr Bush's handling of the conflict, which is now in its fifth year. "Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said the House majority leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer.
Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a "surrender date".
The legislation approves a further $124.2bn (£61.9bn) to fund the war but demands troop withdrawals begin on October 1, or sooner if the Iraqi government fails to fulfil certain conditions. It sets a non-binding goal of completing the pullout by April 1 2008, while allowing for forces conducting certain missions, such as pursuing terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.
The Senate is expected to clear the measure today, sending it to the president. While Mr Bush remains confident the bill will ultimately fail because the Democrats lack the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, he kept up pressure on Congress. To coincide with the vote, the president dispatched his Iraq commander, General David Petraeus, and other senior defence officials to make his case.
Republicans and Democrats alike emerged from their private briefing with Gen Petraeus further entrenched in their positions. Speaking to the BBC while on a visit to Iran, Hoshyar Zebari said the effort to set a date of October for US troops to start leaving his country would not help his country's security or political development.
The bill is now on track to clear Congress by the weekend and arrive on the president's desk as the first binding congressional challenge to Mr Bush's handling of the conflict, which is now in its fifth year. "Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said the House majority leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer.
Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a "surrender date".
The legislation approves a further $124.2bn (£61.9bn) to fund the war but demands troop withdrawals begin on October 1, or sooner if the Iraqi government fails to fulfil certain conditions. It sets a non-binding goal of completing the pullout by April 1 2008, while allowing for forces conducting certain missions, such as pursuing terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.
The Senate is expected to clear the measure today, sending it to the president. While Mr Bush remains confident the bill will ultimately fail because the Democrats lack the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, he kept up pressure on Congress. To coincide with the vote, the president dispatched his Iraq commander, General David Petraeus, and other senior defence officials to make his case.
Republicans and Democrats alike emerged from their private briefing with Gen Petraeus further entrenched in their positions. Speaking to the BBC while on a visit to Iran, Hoshyar Zebari said the effort to set a date of October for US troops to start leaving his country would not help his country's security or political development.
Labels: General David Petraeus, George Bush, House of Representatives, U.S., U.S. troop withdrawal
Friday, March 30, 2007
Petraeus blames Al-Qaeda for instigating Tal Afar violence
Security
(AP) - A U.S. commander said Thursday that revenge-seeking police apparently were behind retribution killings in northwestern Iraq, but he blamed al-Qaida for starting the carnage with a bombing in its bid to foil a security sweep in Baghdad by stoking sectarian violence elsewhere. Gen. David Petraeus also said the surge in attacks in Tal Afar and other cities was posing a challenge to bringing long-term stability to Iraq, but he expressed confidence in the U.S.-Iraqi crackdown on violence, now in its seventh week.
He said al-Qaida fighters had failed to incite sectarian violence despite increased attacks in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, Anbar to the west, and the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul. "They did succeed in Tal Afar in killing a number of innocent civilians in a predominantly Shia marketplace that touched off ... we're still trying to get the exact details of what happened but it appears that there clearly were some kind of retribution killings by police," Petraeus told The Associated Press and another news agency in a brief interview.
His comments were the first military confirmation that Shiite-dominated police forces were among the militants who went on a shooting rampage against Sunnis Wednesday in the religiously mixed Turkomen city, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi officials said as many as 70 men were killed execution-style. Representatives from the government's security ministries had traveled to the city to investigate the events, Petraeus said, calling it "a horrific situation and a real tragedy for a community that has generally stayed together pretty much."
He said al-Qaida fighters had failed to incite sectarian violence despite increased attacks in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, Anbar to the west, and the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul. "They did succeed in Tal Afar in killing a number of innocent civilians in a predominantly Shia marketplace that touched off ... we're still trying to get the exact details of what happened but it appears that there clearly were some kind of retribution killings by police," Petraeus told The Associated Press and another news agency in a brief interview.
His comments were the first military confirmation that Shiite-dominated police forces were among the militants who went on a shooting rampage against Sunnis Wednesday in the religiously mixed Turkomen city, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi officials said as many as 70 men were killed execution-style. Representatives from the government's security ministries had traveled to the city to investigate the events, Petraeus said, calling it "a horrific situation and a real tragedy for a community that has generally stayed together pretty much."
Labels: Al-Qaeda, General David Petraeus, police, Tal Afar
