WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:03.310 who perform that very important task uh 00:03.320 --> 00:05.630 for our forces and for the Iraqi people 00:05.640 --> 00:08.930 which is to remove uh explosive 00:08.930 --> 00:12.370 ordinance uh and do it safely . Uh and 00:12.380 --> 00:14.560 and do it in such a way that we limit 00:14.570 --> 00:17.980 any possible risk to the two innocent 00:17.980 --> 00:20.250 people to our forces . And just as 00:20.250 --> 00:22.083 importantly to those who are the 00:22.083 --> 00:24.530 explosive ordinance experts . To that 00:24.530 --> 00:27.590 end , we do actually conduct a very 00:27.600 --> 00:30.630 detailed training program for explosive 00:30.630 --> 00:34.320 ordinance troops . Um It's one that 00:34.320 --> 00:36.264 involves a great deal of technical 00:36.264 --> 00:40.000 expertise and uh and we do 00:40.010 --> 00:42.890 share the technical capabilities that 00:42.890 --> 00:45.840 we have uh where we can with the Iraqi 00:45.840 --> 00:47.729 security forces and those who are 00:47.729 --> 00:49.673 performing that task for the Iraqi 00:49.673 --> 00:51.840 forces . And that will be one of those 00:51.840 --> 00:54.190 areas that as Iraqi forces continue to 00:54.190 --> 00:56.310 develop . You will see increasing 00:56.310 --> 00:58.532 amounts of that technology available to 00:58.532 --> 01:00.860 them to include the robotics uh in the 01:00.860 --> 01:04.860 other machines that provide such 01:04.860 --> 01:07.280 an important role . But I would like to 01:07.290 --> 01:10.480 I'd like to also conclude by by just 01:10.480 --> 01:13.190 saying that we all accept the inherent 01:13.190 --> 01:15.920 risk that these individuals accept . 01:15.930 --> 01:17.930 And it's one that we all owe them a 01:17.930 --> 01:20.000 great debt of gratitude for doing 01:20.010 --> 01:22.232 because it is one that serves the Iraqi 01:22.232 --> 01:24.590 people uh and Iraqi forces and the 01:24.590 --> 01:27.230 coalition forces in the tragic loss of 01:27.230 --> 01:30.320 those individuals the other day who 01:30.320 --> 01:32.431 we're dealing with a rocket threat at 01:32.431 --> 01:34.542 the time is just another testimony to 01:34.542 --> 01:36.850 their sacrifice and their selflessness 01:36.860 --> 01:38.693 and being able to do these these 01:38.693 --> 01:41.760 incredibly dangerous task . So uh we 01:41.760 --> 01:43.816 send our thoughts and our prayers to 01:43.816 --> 01:45.760 their families and we want to just 01:45.760 --> 01:47.316 recommit our thanks and our 01:47.316 --> 01:50.760 appreciation for their service to uh 01:50.840 --> 01:54.710 it was a 01:54.710 --> 01:57.290 terrible , terrible and tragic day . It 01:57.290 --> 01:59.270 absolutely was . 01:59.280 --> 02:04.810 Thank 02:04.810 --> 02:08.250 you . Uh 02:08.260 --> 02:11.830 Yes , I agree with you . Uh many 02:11.830 --> 02:14.170 casualties . Or even one casualty from 02:14.170 --> 02:16.392 the armed disposal team is too much for 02:16.392 --> 02:18.392 us and uh we cannot compensate that 02:18.392 --> 02:20.448 because even one casualties too much 02:20.448 --> 02:24.050 rest . Uh Now the Directory of 02:24.060 --> 02:27.140 uh disclosed ordinance team . 02:27.150 --> 02:31.120 Uh So it's doing a great 02:31.120 --> 02:33.630 job . And as I told you , within two 02:33.630 --> 02:37.390 weeks , they managed to uh and 02:37.390 --> 02:40.450 the injury battalion uh in the Ministry 02:40.450 --> 02:43.950 of Defense uh and the multinational 02:43.950 --> 02:45.839 forces , although it's managed to 02:45.839 --> 02:49.250 defuse 135 I . E D s in that , but 02:49.250 --> 02:52.670 only so those I . E s were not 02:52.670 --> 02:55.740 refused , what would have happened . So , 02:55.750 --> 02:59.030 those efforts are really good and uh 02:59.040 --> 03:02.290 nobody can deny those efforts . However , 03:02.300 --> 03:05.900 uh the Directory is uh 03:05.910 --> 03:09.860 going , the Minister of in theater is 03:09.860 --> 03:12.010 also following up this thing with 03:12.010 --> 03:14.010 coordination with the multinational 03:14.010 --> 03:16.121 forces so that this directory will be 03:16.121 --> 03:18.410 supplied or it's a technical one will 03:18.410 --> 03:21.900 be supplied through uh supply some 03:21.910 --> 03:24.132 other machines and technologies because 03:24.132 --> 03:27.050 it started in april 2000 03:27.240 --> 03:30.350 seven when operation could only stop it . 03:30.350 --> 03:32.330 And now it's doing a great 03:32.330 --> 03:35.850 job and as I 03:35.850 --> 03:38.430 said , losing just one of them is too 03:38.430 --> 03:40.050 much for us 03:40.440 --> 03:46.020 uh 03:46.030 --> 03:49.910 agency to uh the Operation Colton 03:49.910 --> 03:52.470 and stuff that there has been in uh 03:52.480 --> 03:55.060 talk of making some security gates in 03:55.060 --> 03:57.060 Baghdad . And there will be some 18 03:57.060 --> 03:59.170 major checkpoints in Baghdad . But 03:59.170 --> 04:01.930 until now , none of this happens . 04:01.940 --> 04:04.160 Those major checkpoints . Most of the 04:04.170 --> 04:08.170 vehicles come from outside Baghdad . Uh 04:08.180 --> 04:10.970 you are and always in a hurry . Uh even 04:10.970 --> 04:13.710 in the spreading that we hope that 04:13.720 --> 04:17.460 uh I appreciate 04:17.460 --> 04:19.650 the efforts of the security services . 04:19.660 --> 04:21.540 Yes , we do have a plan and the 04:21.540 --> 04:23.651 Ministry of Computer does have a plan 04:23.651 --> 04:26.830 to to make some main checkpoints . And 04:26.830 --> 04:30.780 interest is uh whether in order to 04:30.790 --> 04:33.730 area and they include 18 major 04:33.730 --> 04:37.290 checkpoints and they're really uh 04:37.300 --> 04:40.560 hopefully uh within the coming few 04:40.560 --> 04:44.390 weeks , you will witness uh those 04:44.400 --> 04:48.070 checkpoints . Uh we're still 04:48.070 --> 04:50.660 working on finishing those 04:50.670 --> 04:53.550 checkpoints . 04:54.340 --> 04:56.530 Thank you . Could you tell us anything 04:56.530 --> 04:58.641 more about the person responsible for 04:58.641 --> 05:00.752 yesterday's bombing ? There were some 05:00.752 --> 05:02.752 initial reports that it was another 05:02.752 --> 05:04.974 female suicide bomber . Can you confirm 05:04.974 --> 05:07.252 that ? And secondly , in Carvel itself , 05:07.252 --> 05:09.363 what exactly is being done to prevent 05:09.363 --> 05:11.586 this from happening again ? I mean , so 05:11.586 --> 05:13.808 far it's starting to look like a carbon 05:13.808 --> 05:16.030 copy of last year . How much other than 05:16.030 --> 05:18.141 frisking every single person who goes 05:18.141 --> 05:20.320 through to Karbala . How are you going 05:20.320 --> 05:22.376 to prevent more of these things from 05:22.376 --> 05:23.376 happening ? 05:27.060 --> 05:29.230 Let me start it then . I'll defer to 05:29.240 --> 05:31.296 general custom and I will start just 05:31.296 --> 05:33.073 from the standpoint of what our 05:33.073 --> 05:35.184 commanders reported uh in the wake of 05:35.184 --> 05:37.810 that tragic attack yesterday and that 05:37.820 --> 05:40.600 uh general bottle , who is the police 05:40.600 --> 05:42.822 commander on the scene immediately took 05:42.822 --> 05:45.850 charge uh and did a very good job of 05:45.860 --> 05:48.730 dealing with the horrible results of 05:48.730 --> 05:52.690 that attack . Uh He is investigating 05:52.700 --> 05:55.230 uh and it is being done as an Iraqi 05:55.240 --> 05:57.930 security force investigation but I want 05:57.930 --> 06:00.152 to start off by saying that even in the 06:00.152 --> 06:02.097 wake of such a tragic and terrible 06:02.097 --> 06:04.420 attack yesterday , Iraqi security 06:04.420 --> 06:08.220 forces responded quite well in dealing 06:08.220 --> 06:11.900 with the Attorney General Custer and 06:15.230 --> 06:18.120 those who follow the situation 06:19.440 --> 06:21.662 or if you follow up the situation , you 06:21.662 --> 06:24.280 can see that the uh Supreme Committee 06:24.280 --> 06:27.090 that has been established to supervise 06:27.090 --> 06:29.680 the situation in Kavala and this 06:29.680 --> 06:32.000 Supreme Committee is headed by Mr 06:32.000 --> 06:34.840 Shawan . Uh Violet is the Minister of 06:34.850 --> 06:38.840 the State uh and also with a 06:38.850 --> 06:42.390 membership from the uh General Ali 06:42.390 --> 06:45.260 Garden and also from the Governor of 06:45.260 --> 06:48.580 Karbala and the chief uh in Kabbalah 06:48.580 --> 06:52.160 and also uh almost uh 06:52.170 --> 06:54.130 members in the community in the 06:54.130 --> 06:57.530 committee uh issued some instructions 06:57.530 --> 07:01.110 and there are some searching operations 07:01.120 --> 07:04.660 and deployment for the troops uh 07:04.670 --> 07:07.630 over 40,000 soldiers in Karbala 07:07.630 --> 07:11.400 province only uh on the entrances 07:11.400 --> 07:15.280 and the uh so that we could prevent any 07:15.280 --> 07:18.040 kind of confusion or mortar attacks . 07:18.050 --> 07:21.700 Uh Also we are coordinating with the 07:21.710 --> 07:24.910 multinational forces to provide us with 07:24.920 --> 07:28.110 some air back up . We also witnessed 07:28.120 --> 07:31.750 yesterday yesterday . Uh the 07:31.750 --> 07:34.460 presence of the Iraqi uh 07:34.840 --> 07:38.590 helicopters uh also carrying out 07:38.590 --> 07:41.890 patrols , their state attack in 07:41.890 --> 07:45.160 escondido uh was a suicide bomber . He 07:45.160 --> 07:48.590 was reading a belt with them and coach 07:48.600 --> 07:52.090 several casualties . Uh 07:52.330 --> 07:54.400 Operation in Baghdad is coordinating 07:54.400 --> 07:57.490 with the multinational 07:57.490 --> 08:00.360 forces with other commanding operations 08:00.360 --> 08:02.950 to take care of this ? Uh Mhm 08:03.340 --> 08:07.090 quote from the 08:07.100 --> 08:10.410 Associated Press Question to General 08:10.410 --> 08:13.530 Bergner . The Iraqi Iranian 08:13.540 --> 08:15.830 discussions on the long term 08:15.840 --> 08:17.830 discussions or agreements with the 08:17.830 --> 08:19.830 negative and the positive points of 08:19.830 --> 08:21.997 those of this long term agreement . In 08:21.997 --> 08:25.030 your opinion , I'm gonna make sure I 08:25.030 --> 08:27.141 know which discussions you're talking 08:27.141 --> 08:29.141 about . Are you talking about those 08:29.141 --> 08:31.141 that are about the border and those 08:31.141 --> 08:33.141 negotiations are underway ? I'm not 08:33.141 --> 08:35.200 sure which one you're talking about 08:35.210 --> 08:37.860 those discussions of the Iranian 08:37.870 --> 08:39.760 security . Long term agreement is 08:39.760 --> 08:41.840 talking about the long term security 08:41.840 --> 08:44.118 agreement between Iran , Iraq and Iran . 08:44.118 --> 08:46.284 Could you give us the positive and the 08:46.284 --> 08:48.340 negative aspects of this agreement ? 08:48.340 --> 08:50.562 There is a long term security agreement 08:50.562 --> 08:54.240 between Iraq and I you know what 08:54.250 --> 08:57.970 I know that this long term agreement 08:58.060 --> 09:01.750 I so how can you say that there are 09:01.750 --> 09:03.806 positive and negative aspect ? Let's 09:03.806 --> 09:05.639 discussions , let's be agreement 09:05.639 --> 09:07.528 starting , we will talk about any 09:07.528 --> 09:11.420 positive or negative shoot around new 09:11.420 --> 09:15.650 Zealand 09:17.640 --> 09:20.990 mm xinhua news agency . Uh My first 09:20.990 --> 09:23.810 question is too General Bergman . As 09:23.810 --> 09:27.370 for uh Iran's president visit to 09:27.370 --> 09:31.200 Iraq and uh how deeply with 09:31.200 --> 09:34.710 the U . S . Military be involved in 09:34.720 --> 09:37.540 providing security german process ? 09:37.550 --> 09:40.090 What kind of world with the U . S . 09:40.090 --> 09:43.790 Military doing uh during his visit ? 09:43.800 --> 09:46.050 And the second question is to be the 09:46.060 --> 09:49.860 general based on the current condition . 09:49.870 --> 09:52.590 Uh Is there a timetable insight 09:52.600 --> 09:56.560 for the Iraqi troops to take 09:56.560 --> 09:59.620 over the security of Thank you . 09:59.630 --> 10:03.160 Uh To your first question , this is a 10:03.170 --> 10:05.392 state to state visit and the government 10:05.392 --> 10:07.559 of Iraq is the host and the government 10:07.559 --> 10:09.503 of Iraq is providing the necessary 10:09.503 --> 10:11.950 support to host their neighboring 10:11.950 --> 10:14.570 president . Uh To my understanding they 10:14.570 --> 10:17.310 are supporting it in all dimensions . 10:17.310 --> 10:20.560 So I believe that's the clearest 10:20.740 --> 10:22.970 uh answer I can give you at this point 10:22.970 --> 10:26.960 in time . Uh 10:26.970 --> 10:30.800 Thank you . Uh We 10:30.800 --> 10:33.590 always say that the army and the armed 10:33.590 --> 10:35.450 forces work away from the policy 10:35.460 --> 10:37.670 politics . So when we listen 10:37.680 --> 10:40.790 overhearing question in politics , uh 10:40.800 --> 10:43.360 yes , our forces will be able to 10:43.360 --> 10:47.130 provide protection uh for the for the 10:47.130 --> 10:49.408 visits made by the Ukrainian president . 10:49.408 --> 10:52.290 The other point that which is important , 10:52.300 --> 10:54.440 there is a an increase in the ability 10:54.440 --> 10:56.830 of the Iraqi security forces , whether 10:56.830 --> 11:00.680 from the Iraqi army or from the 11:00.690 --> 11:02.857 or from the National Police or are the 11:02.857 --> 11:04.912 police itself and the Iraqi security 11:04.912 --> 11:07.060 forces took over security . 11:07.070 --> 11:10.860 Uh several 11:10.870 --> 11:13.970 uh several provinces invited . And we 11:13.970 --> 11:16.430 have a timetable with the multinational 11:16.430 --> 11:20.100 forces to hand over the security 11:20.110 --> 11:23.380 gradually in the rest of the provinces 11:23.380 --> 11:25.380 and areas . And of course this year 11:25.380 --> 11:29.160 will witness the take over of security 11:29.340 --> 11:33.030 uh in other places . And also we feel 11:33.040 --> 11:35.470 relief through all those great steps 11:35.470 --> 11:39.300 and important steps that uh have been 11:39.300 --> 11:41.740 achieved . And also for the increased 11:41.740 --> 11:43.629 development of the Iraqi security 11:43.629 --> 11:45.020 forces . Last question 11:45.030 --> 11:48.870 question from Arabia 11:48.870 --> 11:51.360 newspaper to General Atta 11:52.790 --> 11:54.140 during operation for 11:56.070 --> 11:59.630 the there are some 11:59.630 --> 12:00.700 allocations 12:02.540 --> 12:05.640 allocations are ascribed to or given to 12:05.640 --> 12:08.530 the Iraqi security forces that I don't 12:08.530 --> 12:10.820 think the some soldiers are not 12:10.820 --> 12:12.820 included . Some of them are are and 12:12.820 --> 12:15.042 some of them are not included with some 12:15.042 --> 12:18.110 publications that uh for danger 12:18.110 --> 12:20.650 allocations because when we go out in 12:20.650 --> 12:22.872 the street because to see some soldiers 12:22.872 --> 12:26.680 and or the one of the Civil 12:26.680 --> 12:30.350 Defense , uh he and 12:30.360 --> 12:33.840 uh his bodyguard have 12:33.840 --> 12:36.007 casualties due to one of the attacks . 12:36.007 --> 12:39.640 So we also hope that you can allocate 12:39.650 --> 12:42.620 some money to all the security services . 12:42.630 --> 12:46.330 Uh Well , you have witnessed 12:46.340 --> 12:48.900 the great role that 12:48.910 --> 12:52.780 the Director of the East Civil Defense . 12:52.790 --> 12:55.980 They're starting from uh Major General 12:55.980 --> 12:59.260 and brazil until uh 12:59.740 --> 13:03.550 and a uh and also they 13:03.560 --> 13:07.060 contributed a good way in 13:07.070 --> 13:09.880 uh distinguishing all the fires in 13:09.890 --> 13:13.160 Latifiyah and Daughter area . And we 13:13.160 --> 13:16.600 were present with them . Uh They 13:16.610 --> 13:19.260 also , I salute them through the media 13:19.260 --> 13:23.150 and uh I appreciate the efforts because 13:23.160 --> 13:26.450 they deserve more than that more than 13:26.450 --> 13:30.240 the allocations that they receive or 13:30.250 --> 13:34.240 allowances . And uh we are looking into 13:34.240 --> 13:37.820 this so that we can uh include all the 13:37.820 --> 13:40.270 members that work in operation for the 13:40.270 --> 13:43.540 afternoon with allowances or further 13:43.540 --> 13:47.150 allowances because they deserve that 13:47.150 --> 13:50.280 and they deserve more . Uh well , thank 13:50.280 --> 13:53.790 you for your questions . Uh uh 13:53.800 --> 13:56.330 thank you very much for coming today . 13:56.330 --> 13:59.590 And hopefully we will meet again . I 13:59.600 --> 14:02.810 also would like to thank uh , Major 14:02.810 --> 14:05.600 General Bergner to give me this 14:05.600 --> 14:07.990 opportunity today . Thank you . 14:08.000 --> 14:11.000 Goodbye .