WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:03.610 well , uh 00:03.620 --> 00:05.676 general well done with Reuters . Are 00:05.676 --> 00:07.880 you continuing to encounter larger , 00:07.880 --> 00:10.350 more powerful I . E . Ds . As U . S . 00:10.360 --> 00:12.750 Forces go into places where perhaps 00:12.750 --> 00:14.861 they weren't before rural areas . And 00:14.861 --> 00:17.810 how widespread is the use of these uh 00:17.820 --> 00:20.220 middle of these uh laser devices that 00:20.230 --> 00:24.200 checkpoint ? Well , that's your second 00:24.200 --> 00:27.360 question first . We've only used 00:27.370 --> 00:30.070 uh , I wouldn't call him laser devices , 00:30.080 --> 00:33.950 spotlight devices in a limited way 00:33.960 --> 00:36.300 to date . I'm hoping that we'll have 00:36.300 --> 00:38.411 many , many more that we can use here 00:38.411 --> 00:40.350 before too long . I think they'll 00:40.350 --> 00:42.580 provide a very , very important 00:42.580 --> 00:46.540 additive to our way of helping 00:46.540 --> 00:49.490 Iraqis avoid situations where we have 00:49.490 --> 00:52.720 to apply deadly force . Uh , and I am 00:52.720 --> 00:55.270 quite frankly very hopeful that there 00:55.270 --> 00:58.190 will be a very , very good edition and 00:58.190 --> 01:01.470 help us unless in lessening the number 01:01.470 --> 01:04.010 of escalation of force incidents that 01:04.010 --> 01:07.540 we have . As far as I E . Ds go , we 01:07.540 --> 01:09.760 are constantly looking for ways to 01:09.760 --> 01:13.530 combat I E Ds . The enemy 01:13.540 --> 01:16.880 realizes that ideas are very , very 01:16.880 --> 01:18.980 good weapon from his standpoint . At 01:18.980 --> 01:21.110 the same time , I'm very , very 01:21.120 --> 01:24.890 happy that our soldiers have 01:24.890 --> 01:28.020 done a much better job at finding the 01:28.030 --> 01:31.030 those IEDs , albeit we don't find all 01:31.030 --> 01:33.300 of them . And many times when we don't 01:33.300 --> 01:36.690 find it , it is catastrophic . 01:36.780 --> 01:39.130 At the same time , we're working very , 01:39.130 --> 01:41.750 very hard to look at different 01:41.750 --> 01:44.190 technologies and ways of combating this 01:44.190 --> 01:46.810 threat . This is the threat of this war . 01:47.730 --> 01:50.990 And I want to thank everybody back in 01:51.000 --> 01:53.056 the bois de for all the support that 01:53.056 --> 01:55.990 they're giving both of my staff and to 01:55.990 --> 01:58.046 our soldiers . I believe we're doing 01:58.046 --> 02:00.350 everything possible to help us fight 02:00.350 --> 02:03.280 this threat . But it is in fact the 02:03.280 --> 02:06.100 lethal threat of this particular war 02:09.040 --> 02:11.280 on the device that you're using at the 02:11.290 --> 02:13.512 checkpoint . You say in a limited way . 02:13.512 --> 02:15.734 Could you quantify that for me please ? 02:15.734 --> 02:18.600 We have some out here as a test . About 02:18.610 --> 02:20.666 10 different systems . We found that 02:20.666 --> 02:22.790 they were very , very effective and 02:22.790 --> 02:25.150 we're looking to deploy more of them to 02:25.150 --> 02:27.261 see exactly how effective they can be 02:27.261 --> 02:30.000 if used across a particular sector with 02:30.000 --> 02:32.450 a particular unit . And I'm awaiting 02:32.450 --> 02:36.140 those to arrive and after a required 02:36.140 --> 02:38.084 training period will be out in the 02:38.084 --> 02:40.196 hands of soldiers and I think they're 02:40.196 --> 02:42.418 going to make a tremendous difference . 02:42.690 --> 02:45.390 I will had been trying to been 02:45.390 --> 02:47.390 interesting to me to see the debate 02:47.390 --> 02:50.660 about the use of these things . To me , 02:51.000 --> 02:54.920 they are in fact , uh , when you 02:54.930 --> 02:57.041 consider the alternative , which is a 02:57.041 --> 03:00.220 bullet , I honestly believe we can use 03:00.220 --> 03:02.810 them . We can use them effectively . We 03:02.810 --> 03:04.588 can use them in ways that don't 03:04.588 --> 03:07.430 necessarily even quote unquote light up 03:07.440 --> 03:09.810 the individual but provide a marker . 03:10.130 --> 03:12.780 So individuals realize that they are 03:12.790 --> 03:14.790 approaching the danger point and we 03:14.790 --> 03:17.012 will do everything possible to form the 03:17.012 --> 03:19.290 Iraqi people of their use . So when 03:19.290 --> 03:21.400 they see them , they react 03:21.410 --> 03:22.320 appropriately 03:26.200 --> 03:29.000 general this just show those stars and 03:29.000 --> 03:31.111 stripes . Can you talk about the plan 03:31.111 --> 03:33.167 to consolidate the smaller fogs into 03:33.167 --> 03:35.167 bigger Cobb's contingency operation 03:35.167 --> 03:39.160 basis . It's been our 03:39.160 --> 03:41.160 plan all along to turn over forward 03:41.160 --> 03:43.310 operating bases to the Iraqis and we 03:43.310 --> 03:45.900 continue again in this year of 03:45.900 --> 03:48.067 transition . That has been part of our 03:48.067 --> 03:50.950 strategy , part of our plan and we are 03:50.950 --> 03:53.172 very , very successful to date in doing 03:53.172 --> 03:55.172 that . Uh we're on a timeline to do 03:55.172 --> 03:57.283 that Absolutely critical to do that . 03:57.283 --> 03:59.950 So that number one and Iraqis came back 04:00.420 --> 04:02.309 some of these locations which are 04:02.309 --> 04:04.250 critical to the space station and 04:04.250 --> 04:07.650 basing of their soldiers and forces and 04:07.650 --> 04:10.230 at the same time as they take over the 04:10.230 --> 04:12.770 lead and more and more of the sectors 04:12.770 --> 04:16.290 in Iraq , it's critical that we move 04:16.290 --> 04:18.401 and and consolidate wherever wherever 04:18.401 --> 04:20.512 possible . And that's all part of the 04:20.512 --> 04:23.810 process of transitioning sectors to 04:23.810 --> 04:26.770 Iraqi security forces , both army and 04:26.770 --> 04:27.760 police . 04:30.530 --> 04:32.920 How many copies you envisioned in Iraq 04:32.920 --> 04:34.976 and how long they are expected to be 04:34.976 --> 04:37.370 operating again . The enemy always has 04:37.370 --> 04:39.490 a vote in this . And as I looked down 04:39.490 --> 04:42.440 range and down in time , I'm hoping 04:42.440 --> 04:44.980 that we will be down to somewhere in 04:44.980 --> 04:47.340 the vicinity of 50 by the end of the 04:47.340 --> 04:50.720 year . Uh that's our plan . But again , 04:50.730 --> 04:53.870 I always understand uh I hate to be 04:53.870 --> 04:55.930 repetitive . The enemy gets an 04:55.930 --> 04:58.290 opportunity to vote in these matters 04:58.300 --> 05:00.522 and we'll adjust our plan is required . 05:00.522 --> 05:03.260 But it is a very complicated process . 05:03.260 --> 05:06.080 It's a very time consuming process . We 05:06.080 --> 05:08.247 have a very deliberate way of doing it 05:08.247 --> 05:10.302 to ensure that we return them to the 05:10.302 --> 05:12.920 Iraqis , the way we received them , in 05:12.930 --> 05:15.600 fact , quite , quite a few cases , much , 05:15.600 --> 05:19.080 much better than we received them . And 05:19.090 --> 05:21.201 as we consolidate our forces . But at 05:21.201 --> 05:23.312 the same time we have the requirement 05:23.312 --> 05:26.110 to support our training teams which are 05:26.110 --> 05:28.332 spread all over Iraq , which makes it a 05:28.332 --> 05:30.499 very complicated and difficult process 05:30.499 --> 05:32.980 and one that I'm looking at every week . 05:36.500 --> 05:39.150 General , I wonder if you could talk a 05:39.150 --> 05:41.860 little bit more about what the military 05:42.240 --> 05:46.010 can do and will do to sort of help the 05:46.010 --> 05:48.600 government do some of the economic 05:48.610 --> 05:50.980 growth that you talk about . I mean , 05:50.980 --> 05:53.380 what sort of new projects or 05:53.390 --> 05:56.000 reinvigorated project can the U . S . 05:56.010 --> 05:59.720 Military health with ? Well , we're in 05:59.720 --> 06:01.831 full partnership with the embassy and 06:01.831 --> 06:03.831 the provincial reconstruction teams 06:03.831 --> 06:05.998 which were standing up all over Iraq . 06:05.998 --> 06:08.700 Uh we fully support those teams . 06:09.160 --> 06:11.510 They've got a capability out into the 06:11.510 --> 06:13.621 provinces of Iraq and the governments 06:13.621 --> 06:15.677 and economic lines of operation that 06:15.677 --> 06:17.960 was sorely needed at the same time . 06:17.970 --> 06:20.080 Although they have great civilian 06:20.080 --> 06:22.400 expertise working with them , they too 06:22.410 --> 06:25.410 are reliant on the United States and 06:25.410 --> 06:29.050 coalition military to assist them . Our 06:29.050 --> 06:31.440 civil affairs efforts are fully focused , 06:31.450 --> 06:33.617 helping the PRTS do the work that they 06:33.617 --> 06:35.839 need to do in the different provinces . 06:35.839 --> 06:37.839 Uh One of the things we're going to 06:37.839 --> 06:39.980 help do is is used with the limited 06:39.980 --> 06:43.280 funding . We have to realize the true 06:43.280 --> 06:45.391 benefits of some of the large capital 06:45.391 --> 06:47.750 projects that we've completed , it's 06:47.750 --> 06:50.680 great to have a water treatment plant 06:50.680 --> 06:53.900 that has the capability to take care of 06:53.900 --> 06:56.520 100,000 people or provide 101 100,000 06:56.530 --> 06:58.197 people . But for a very small 06:58.197 --> 07:00.620 investment , we can do the kind of 07:00.630 --> 07:04.520 focus look at these kinds of 07:04.520 --> 07:06.370 projects to ensure that they are 07:06.370 --> 07:08.630 providing up to their capability 07:08.640 --> 07:10.862 through the completion and distribution 07:10.862 --> 07:12.862 systems for water and electricity . 07:12.862 --> 07:15.029 Which will have a tremendous impact of 07:15.029 --> 07:18.190 creating the real effect that we want 07:18.200 --> 07:20.710 from some of these projects . So , one 07:20.710 --> 07:22.877 of the things we're doing right now is 07:22.877 --> 07:24.877 is checking all that , what we call 07:24.877 --> 07:27.560 earth projects are part of the $18.4 07:27.560 --> 07:29.680 billion supplemental . We're checking 07:29.680 --> 07:31.730 those projects out to see if their 07:31.730 --> 07:34.690 capability is fully being realized and 07:34.690 --> 07:38.220 using certain funds and other funds to 07:38.230 --> 07:42.230 build on those to provide real benefit 07:42.240 --> 07:44.351 in the area of basic services for the 07:44.351 --> 07:45.351 Iraqi people . 07:49.950 --> 07:52.790 General Gordon global . From every time 07:52.800 --> 07:55.440 you mentioned , the economy will top 07:55.450 --> 07:57.540 the to do list for the central 07:57.540 --> 07:59.710 government is formed and specifically 07:59.710 --> 08:02.580 what your view will the impact of the 08:02.590 --> 08:05.690 formation of the government have on the 08:05.700 --> 08:08.110 strengthening of the Iraqi forces and 08:08.120 --> 08:10.287 things like administrative issues with 08:10.287 --> 08:12.453 pay and stuff like that . How did that 08:12.453 --> 08:14.231 affect ? Well , it's absolutely 08:14.231 --> 08:16.398 critical because once the economy gets 08:16.398 --> 08:18.453 going and revenues are realized , it 08:18.453 --> 08:20.650 will allow the Iraqis to support their 08:20.650 --> 08:22.706 forces in a way that the date . They 08:22.706 --> 08:24.706 have been unable to do that . And I 08:24.706 --> 08:26.817 know that they're all committed to do 08:26.817 --> 08:28.761 that . This concept of ministerial 08:28.761 --> 08:32.330 capacity is absolutely critical . It's 08:32.340 --> 08:34.562 one thing to build the logistics system 08:34.562 --> 08:36.673 to move supplies . It's another thing 08:36.673 --> 08:38.618 to have all the necessary supplies 08:38.618 --> 08:40.729 required to support that force and be 08:40.729 --> 08:43.030 moved . And we're working very , very 08:43.030 --> 08:45.252 hard and we'll work very , very hard in 08:45.252 --> 08:47.570 any way we possibly can to support the 08:47.570 --> 08:49.660 policies of the government of Iraq , 08:49.670 --> 08:51.920 which for the first time since I've 08:51.930 --> 08:54.041 been here will be able to concentrate 08:54.041 --> 08:57.780 on those kinds of policies rather than 08:57.790 --> 08:59.734 running for reelection . Writing a 08:59.734 --> 09:01.957 constitution are trying to put together 09:01.957 --> 09:04.012 a government . This is going to be a 09:04.012 --> 09:05.957 period where they can focus on the 09:05.957 --> 09:08.180 kinds of policy issues of policy 09:08.180 --> 09:10.236 decisions that are needed to get the 09:10.236 --> 09:14.050 economy up and moving ahead for 09:14.050 --> 09:16.400 those who have not visited Iraq . I 09:16.410 --> 09:19.590 think you just can't appreciate 09:20.180 --> 09:23.860 the tremendous capabilities , 09:23.870 --> 09:27.320 both of the Iraqi people and this is a 09:27.320 --> 09:29.890 land of great natural resources , the 09:29.900 --> 09:33.280 educated population and I just don't 09:33.280 --> 09:35.336 think it's going to take a heck of a 09:35.336 --> 09:37.980 lot . Hopefully for the new government 09:37.990 --> 09:40.046 work the kind of policy decisions to 09:40.046 --> 09:42.290 get this economy up and moving in the 09:42.290 --> 09:44.346 direction it needs to so that we can 09:44.346 --> 09:46.230 employ people in areas where 09:46.230 --> 09:48.452 unemployment is the highest as I go out 09:48.452 --> 09:50.800 and talk to people in those areas and 09:50.800 --> 09:53.022 they tell me the one thing that you can 09:53.022 --> 09:55.189 do to lower the number of insurgencies 09:55.189 --> 09:57.380 is find jobs for the people and we're 09:57.380 --> 09:59.850 committed to help the Iraqi government 09:59.850 --> 10:02.260 and the Prts as they go about the 10:02.260 --> 10:04.810 business of doing exactly that 10:09.310 --> 10:12.950 man from France press wondering if you 10:12.950 --> 10:15.240 could describe the current trends and 10:15.240 --> 10:18.820 sectarian violence and also what you've 10:18.820 --> 10:21.930 been able to do to get to the root of 10:21.930 --> 10:24.190 the problem and militia infiltration of 10:24.200 --> 10:27.360 the police and other security forces ? 10:27.740 --> 10:29.920 Or is that a problem that's going to 10:29.920 --> 10:33.200 have to await the new government ? 10:33.870 --> 10:35.870 Well , it's not a problem , totally 10:35.870 --> 10:37.870 awake . The new government with the 10:37.870 --> 10:39.648 current government , We work in 10:39.648 --> 10:41.710 policies and the police transition 10:41.710 --> 10:44.450 teams are exactly that that is an 10:44.450 --> 10:46.561 opportunity for us to get down to the 10:46.561 --> 10:48.790 lowest level and to work with the 10:48.790 --> 10:51.490 police on a daily basis . And that 10:51.490 --> 10:53.490 means everything in this culture in 10:53.490 --> 10:55.601 this society . Not teams that show up 10:55.601 --> 10:57.657 once a week in parts of training and 10:57.657 --> 11:00.040 then go away and come back . But teams 11:00.040 --> 11:03.860 that live almost 24 7 down the local 11:03.860 --> 11:06.690 police stations helping the police go 11:06.690 --> 11:08.560 through a process that we use to 11:08.560 --> 11:10.671 analyze the current state of training 11:10.671 --> 11:12.930 uh and to recommend training programs 11:12.930 --> 11:15.152 for them and to help them execute those 11:15.152 --> 11:18.330 training programs as we do . That we're 11:18.330 --> 11:20.441 making a professional force that will 11:20.441 --> 11:23.060 be much less likely to be infected with 11:23.060 --> 11:25.580 the kinds of things you speak of . 11:27.170 --> 11:29.160 Now there was a first part to that 11:29.160 --> 11:32.830 question trends , current trends are 11:32.840 --> 11:36.520 current trends in infiltration of 11:36.960 --> 11:38.720 police . Was that question . 11:40.650 --> 11:44.390 Uh thank you . Can talk 11:44.400 --> 11:46.770 to the trends and Secretary of violence 11:46.780 --> 11:48.920 that you see . Okay , I'm sorry , I'm 11:48.920 --> 11:51.410 sorry , it's old age and that memory 11:51.410 --> 11:55.410 starts to go . I think we look at Iraq 11:55.410 --> 11:57.410 and with two different lenses , the 11:57.410 --> 11:59.710 lenses of the pre Golden Dome bombing , 11:59.940 --> 12:02.610 a time when we weren't necessarily 12:02.610 --> 12:06.050 looking for for sectarian violence in 12:06.050 --> 12:09.340 the same way . In the post period of 12:09.350 --> 12:11.780 the Golden Dome bombing , we've put on 12:11.780 --> 12:14.160 a different set of lenses . Um , so it 12:14.160 --> 12:16.790 is it is dangerous to compare both the 12:16.790 --> 12:18.679 pre period with the post period . 12:18.679 --> 12:21.770 However , I will not deny that we were 12:21.770 --> 12:24.240 probably wrong before in the pre period 12:24.250 --> 12:27.190 and didn't see some of the sectarian 12:27.190 --> 12:29.412 acts that were taking place at the same 12:29.412 --> 12:31.412 time in the post period . We have a 12:31.412 --> 12:33.523 tendency to call everything sectarian 12:33.523 --> 12:35.579 in nature . And I would characterize 12:35.579 --> 12:37.670 the period in the post Golden Dawn 12:37.670 --> 12:39.900 bombing is a period where we had high 12:39.900 --> 12:42.011 sectarian violence are higher than we 12:42.011 --> 12:44.011 have seen before , much higher than 12:44.011 --> 12:46.178 we've seen before . It went down for a 12:46.178 --> 12:48.400 period of time . Uh , and then the last 12:48.400 --> 12:50.622 week or two weeks , we've seen it begin 12:50.622 --> 12:52.720 to move up again . But they're 12:52.720 --> 12:54.998 accelerators to the sectarian violence . 12:54.998 --> 12:57.164 And I don't think are always explain . 12:57.164 --> 12:59.130 Uh , and those accelerators of the 12:59.130 --> 13:02.030 actions of Zarqawi uh , in his 13:02.030 --> 13:03.870 terrorists , who see this as a 13:03.870 --> 13:05.981 tremendous opportunity , a tremendous 13:05.981 --> 13:08.203 strategy that they can implement , that 13:08.203 --> 13:10.820 they can use to try to get Iraqis to 13:10.820 --> 13:12.653 concentrate on something totally 13:12.653 --> 13:16.200 different . I think the good news is 13:16.200 --> 13:18.810 that we're not seeing Iraqis in 13:18.810 --> 13:20.940 neighborhoods picking up arms against 13:20.950 --> 13:24.050 each other . Uh In fact , we're seeing 13:24.060 --> 13:26.340 watch groups and some instances stand 13:26.340 --> 13:28.229 up . They're very professional in 13:28.229 --> 13:30.507 nature and other instances they're not . 13:30.507 --> 13:32.562 And whether or not we work to ensure 13:32.562 --> 13:34.729 that the Iraqi security forces work to 13:34.729 --> 13:37.300 ensure that they conduct themselves 13:37.310 --> 13:40.840 properly . But uh I'll be it we've 13:40.850 --> 13:44.370 we've seen a upward trend in the last 13:44.370 --> 13:46.840 couple of weeks . We continue with our 13:46.840 --> 13:49.770 presence patrols are joint patrols in 13:49.770 --> 13:51.937 the neighborhoods that give the people 13:51.937 --> 13:54.300 a feeling of security and understand um 13:54.310 --> 13:57.560 that Zarqawi in the terrorists will use 13:57.560 --> 14:01.330 this as a strategy at least uh in the 14:01.340 --> 14:04.170 foreseeable future . Uh and the key is 14:04.180 --> 14:06.440 for the government to show the people a 14:06.450 --> 14:08.450 better way of life so that they can 14:08.450 --> 14:11.810 help us uh in stamping out these 14:11.810 --> 14:13.977 terrorists and let us know when you're 14:13.977 --> 14:15.699 working in their neighborhoods 14:18.040 --> 14:20.207 unfortunately , reached the end of our 14:20.207 --> 14:22.550 time . And so I'd like to just turn it 14:22.550 --> 14:24.717 back to you in case you have any final 14:24.717 --> 14:26.939 comments that you'd like to make before 14:26.939 --> 14:29.050 we bring this to a close . I just say 14:29.050 --> 14:31.217 that we're all very excited about what 14:31.217 --> 14:34.080 we see happening in the next few days 14:34.090 --> 14:37.650 in the next 100 200 days . The Iraqi 14:37.650 --> 14:40.940 government gets set and begins tackling 14:40.950 --> 14:44.420 these problems . Uh I would 14:44.430 --> 14:47.140 argue that we will probably see the 14:47.140 --> 14:49.530 enemy take every advantage you possibly 14:49.530 --> 14:52.790 candidates period to try to destabilize 14:52.800 --> 14:54.800 the government is it goes about its 14:54.800 --> 14:56.856 business . But I have the full trust 14:56.856 --> 15:00.040 and confidence in the leadership of 15:00.040 --> 15:03.020 Iraq or the new leadership of Iraq and 15:03.020 --> 15:05.187 their ability to tackle the problems . 15:05.187 --> 15:08.150 And I have even more confidence in the 15:08.150 --> 15:10.830 Iraqi people and their desire for a 15:10.830 --> 15:14.810 free and democratic Iraq and moving on 15:14.820 --> 15:18.070 beyond this current period of violence . 15:18.080 --> 15:20.400 So I thank you very much . I appreciate 15:20.400 --> 15:22.622 the opportunity to speak to you today . 15:22.622 --> 15:25.280 Thank you general .