WEBVTT 00:01.040 --> 00:02.873 General Buchanan , thank you for 00:02.873 --> 00:05.390 joining us today . A question after 8.5 00:05.390 --> 00:08.500 years in Iraq , we went in to put an 00:08.500 --> 00:10.556 end of the tyranny of Saddam Hussein 00:10.556 --> 00:12.667 ends a search for the weapons of mass 00:12.667 --> 00:14.667 destruction . What do you think the 00:14.667 --> 00:16.889 legacy will be for the United States in 00:16.889 --> 00:19.120 Iraq ? Well , I think that the the 00:19.120 --> 00:21.880 legacy here uh and it's a shared legacy 00:21.880 --> 00:24.180 between us and the Iraqi people is that 00:24.190 --> 00:26.357 that both of our countries , certainly 00:26.357 --> 00:28.523 the Iraqi people have a tremendous set 00:28.523 --> 00:30.579 of opportunities now that they never 00:30.579 --> 00:32.079 had in the past . But that 00:32.079 --> 00:34.301 opportunities and those opportunities , 00:34.301 --> 00:36.301 whether it's economic development , 00:36.301 --> 00:38.301 security , the ability certainly to 00:38.301 --> 00:40.301 vote for their own leaders have all 00:40.301 --> 00:42.523 come at the result of a great amount of 00:42.523 --> 00:44.523 sacrifice on behalf of the american 00:44.523 --> 00:44.260 people and the Iraqi people , 00:48.140 --> 00:51.260 40,000 troops still on duty in Iraq , 00:51.260 --> 00:53.850 standing very tall as they leave by the 00:53.850 --> 00:55.906 end of the year . That's the promise 00:55.906 --> 00:58.183 from President Obama and in their wake , 00:58.183 --> 01:01.620 4500 killed , over 3200 injured . It's 01:01.620 --> 01:03.676 going to be a logistical challenge . 01:03.676 --> 01:06.009 Redeploying them . How will that happen ? 01:06.640 --> 01:09.210 Well , we uh we are on track completely 01:09.210 --> 01:11.680 to meet all of our obligations to honor 01:11.680 --> 01:13.791 our commitments both to the Iraqi and 01:13.791 --> 01:15.569 American people to the security 01:15.569 --> 01:17.990 agreement we signed in 2008 We've 01:17.990 --> 01:21.610 transitioned 490 of our 505 bases 01:21.610 --> 01:23.832 already to the Iraqi government . So we 01:23.832 --> 01:25.990 only have 15 left to go . We're 01:25.990 --> 01:28.820 redeploying equipment at a at a record 01:28.820 --> 01:32.220 pace . We've redeployed 1.68 million 01:32.220 --> 01:35.100 pieces of equipment have about 700,000 01:35.100 --> 01:37.267 left to go . And that's all on track . 01:37.267 --> 01:39.830 And we're also on track . We Lately 01:39.830 --> 01:42.450 have are the most recent figure I have 01:42.530 --> 01:45.020 is about 39,000 troops still in the 01:45.020 --> 01:47.187 country . And those will all be out by 01:47.187 --> 01:48.409 the end of the year . 01:51.540 --> 01:53.707 Are you worried about Iran ? There are 01:53.707 --> 01:55.651 many who have said that this is an 01:55.651 --> 01:57.818 opportunity for Iran to step back in . 01:57.818 --> 01:59.984 I know we're gonna have some troops in 01:59.984 --> 02:02.151 Kuwait . How are we positioned to face 02:02.151 --> 02:04.262 off that potential challenge ? Well , 02:04.262 --> 02:06.318 obviously , our our troops in Kuwait 02:06.318 --> 02:08.373 fall under the command of the United 02:08.373 --> 02:10.560 States Central Command and they have 02:10.570 --> 02:12.626 their well prepared to deal with any 02:12.626 --> 02:16.330 issues from a joint service perspective , 02:16.340 --> 02:18.507 Army , Navy , Air Force , Marine Corps 02:18.507 --> 02:20.229 based in Kuwait and many other 02:20.229 --> 02:22.340 countries throughout the region . But 02:22.340 --> 02:25.260 as far as a rock itself goes , uh , 02:25.270 --> 02:27.530 Iraq does have to have a relationship 02:27.530 --> 02:29.752 with Iran . Obviously they share a very 02:29.752 --> 02:31.974 long border . What we hope is that it's 02:31.974 --> 02:34.610 one based upon mutual respect and that 02:34.620 --> 02:37.660 Iran will respect Iraq's right to have 02:37.660 --> 02:39.827 a country that is stable sovereign and 02:39.827 --> 02:42.160 self reliant . Iran for years has been 02:42.160 --> 02:44.720 trying to dominate Iraq . They have not 02:44.720 --> 02:47.480 succeeded and I have tremendous faith 02:47.480 --> 02:49.702 in the Iraqi people . They're not about 02:49.702 --> 02:51.869 to be dominated by anybody . Certainly 02:51.869 --> 02:55.830 not Iran General , 02:55.830 --> 02:57.997 so many enlisted reserves and National 02:57.997 --> 03:00.219 Guard personnel from across New England 03:00.219 --> 03:02.219 have served , You've been there for 03:02.219 --> 03:04.441 four or five years as I understand it . 03:04.441 --> 03:06.386 How do you feel personally for all 03:06.386 --> 03:06.360 these folks who are coming home to 03:06.360 --> 03:10.070 their families ? Well , I think , you 03:10.070 --> 03:12.650 know , I I just can't express my 03:12.650 --> 03:14.706 gratitude to the american people for 03:14.706 --> 03:17.040 all of their support to what our 03:17.040 --> 03:19.940 Reserve Component troops do . Uh , many 03:19.940 --> 03:22.200 of them have been deployed over here a 03:22.200 --> 03:24.311 number of times more than just once . 03:24.380 --> 03:27.160 Certainly they put a life on , hold a 03:27.160 --> 03:29.670 job , a place to live . Sometimes they 03:29.670 --> 03:31.892 give that up and then get mobilized and 03:31.892 --> 03:33.837 deployed over here and we couldn't 03:33.837 --> 03:36.260 serve on the active side of the forces . 03:36.340 --> 03:38.284 We couldn't do our mission without 03:38.284 --> 03:40.700 without these great troops . All of our 03:40.700 --> 03:42.700 troops active and reserve component 03:42.700 --> 03:44.589 really are looking forward to the 03:44.589 --> 03:46.700 homecoming . They are looking forward 03:46.700 --> 03:49.960 to rejoining their families . Uh , uh , 03:49.970 --> 03:52.303 getting a lot done back home , you know , 03:52.303 --> 03:54.303 and it's , our morale has been high 03:54.303 --> 03:56.414 throughout because we've gotten a lot 03:56.414 --> 03:58.637 done , but mostly because we've enjoyed 03:58.637 --> 04:00.748 tremendous support from all the folks 04:00.748 --> 04:04.740 back home . Major 04:04.740 --> 04:06.796 General Jeffrey Buchanan , thank you 04:06.796 --> 04:08.740 for your service and thank you for 04:08.740 --> 04:10.907 joining us today . Thank you steve . I 04:10.907 --> 04:13.018 appreciate you having me on your show 04:13.018 --> 04:11.660 today .