WEBVTT

00:00.040 --> 00:02.690
Good morning everybody . Our brief for

00:02.690 --> 00:04.634
today is Lieutenant General john R

00:04.634 --> 00:06.890
vines . He's the Commander of the 18th

00:06.890 --> 00:09.160
Airborne Corps but is currently serving

00:09.160 --> 00:11.500
in Iraq as the Commander for

00:11.500 --> 00:14.990
multinational Corps , Iraq as

00:15.000 --> 00:17.222
multinational Corps Commander , General

00:17.222 --> 00:19.222
Bynes is the Commander in charge of

00:19.222 --> 00:21.333
coalition forces operations in Iraq .

00:21.333 --> 00:24.180
He's kind of provide us with a brief

00:24.190 --> 00:28.120
operational update and then he'll

00:29.010 --> 00:31.230
entertain some questions from if he

00:31.240 --> 00:33.580
cannot see you as you can see him . So

00:33.580 --> 00:35.636
when we go to questions , if you can

00:35.636 --> 00:37.858
believe identify yourself and your news

00:37.858 --> 00:39.802
organization , that would help him

00:39.802 --> 00:42.660
recognize some of you because I know

00:42.660 --> 00:44.827
that many of you have met with general

00:44.827 --> 00:47.160
Barnes before in the past . So that

00:47.160 --> 00:49.382
general , thank you for joining us this

00:49.382 --> 00:51.549
morning and I'll turn it over to you .

00:51.549 --> 00:53.830
Thanks . It's good to be there with you

00:53.830 --> 00:57.510
from Baghdad uh about 110 and dusty ,

00:57.510 --> 01:00.800
but the soldiers are magnificent . Let

01:00.800 --> 01:02.967
me talk just briefly about a couple of

01:02.967 --> 01:05.133
things going on during the country's ,

01:05.133 --> 01:07.078
you know , next week will mark the

01:07.078 --> 01:09.780
first anniversary of sovereignty of

01:09.790 --> 01:11.790
Iraq , where the government assumed

01:11.790 --> 01:14.012
responsibility for his own governance .

01:14.012 --> 01:16.480
That it was 28 June of 2004 . Since

01:16.480 --> 01:18.920
that time , there's been significant

01:18.920 --> 01:21.087
progress throughout the country . Very

01:21.087 --> 01:23.253
successful elections were conducted in

01:23.253 --> 01:25.142
late january of this year despite

01:25.142 --> 01:27.142
threats of intimidation attempts to

01:27.142 --> 01:28.698
disrupt the elections , the

01:28.698 --> 01:30.809
transitional government has been seen

01:30.809 --> 01:32.920
in the transitional national assembly

01:32.920 --> 01:34.976
has been seated . The writing of the

01:34.976 --> 01:37.430
constitution is underway and we expect

01:37.430 --> 01:40.350
that there will be a constitution and

01:40.360 --> 01:43.640
drafted a referendum in october of this

01:43.640 --> 01:45.584
year . And then we anticipate that

01:45.584 --> 01:47.584
there will be national elections in

01:47.584 --> 01:49.696
december of this year . That's that's

01:49.696 --> 01:51.696
the current timeline . The security

01:51.696 --> 01:53.807
forces of Iraq are continuing to make

01:53.807 --> 01:55.918
significant progress . There are over

01:55.918 --> 01:58.084
100 battalions of the Iraqi army field

01:58.084 --> 02:01.380
and uh over 80,000 other forces ,

02:01.380 --> 02:03.880
Border Police Ministry of the Interior

02:03.890 --> 02:06.020
Forces , facilities , protection

02:06.020 --> 02:07.964
services have been fielded . Their

02:07.964 --> 02:10.131
performance on the whole has been very

02:10.131 --> 02:12.298
good where they're well lead , they've

02:12.298 --> 02:14.131
proven that they are patriotic ,

02:14.131 --> 02:16.187
they're willing to fight and they do

02:16.187 --> 02:18.270
extraordinarily well on a given day

02:18.280 --> 02:20.502
today , for example , can include there

02:20.502 --> 02:22.391
about 30 battalion sized combined

02:22.391 --> 02:24.336
operations involving coalition and

02:24.336 --> 02:26.447
Iraqi forces throughout the country .

02:26.447 --> 02:28.558
They're taking place in Baghdad . All

02:28.558 --> 02:30.669
of you , I assume you've heard of all

02:30.669 --> 02:33.120
park has been quite successful in the

02:33.120 --> 02:35.360
security of Baghdad . Veteran sport is

02:35.360 --> 02:37.960
in the northwest , in the salad bar

02:38.240 --> 02:41.080
area of Western Ninawa province and

02:41.080 --> 02:43.840
then out in Holland Bar province . The

02:43.840 --> 02:46.760
marines are conducting operations spear

02:46.760 --> 02:50.020
out here in , they're having a good

02:50.020 --> 02:52.850
effects out there . But Iraqi security

02:52.850 --> 02:55.540
forces are operational throughout the

02:55.550 --> 02:57.494
country and then a whole , they're

02:57.494 --> 03:00.450
doing quite well . And so my concern

03:00.450 --> 03:02.394
quite frankly , is not about their

03:02.394 --> 03:04.450
ability to conduct the operations is

03:04.450 --> 03:06.506
about continuing to develop national

03:06.506 --> 03:09.320
capacity . So those forces can be fed

03:09.330 --> 03:11.560
so those forces can be sustained with

03:11.570 --> 03:13.237
equipment and spare parts and

03:13.237 --> 03:15.800
replacement personnel . The soldiers of

03:15.800 --> 03:19.560
the coalition are magnificent Late last

03:19.560 --> 03:23.500
week presented a squad of the 6/17 Mp

03:23.500 --> 03:25.833
company conduct the Army National Guard ?

03:25.833 --> 03:28.560
Three silver stars , two bronze stars

03:28.570 --> 03:31.750
with the for valor uh including two

03:31.750 --> 03:33.972
females . Magnificent action . That was

03:33.972 --> 03:35.694
quite honestly one of the most

03:35.694 --> 03:37.694
compelling combined arms operations

03:37.694 --> 03:40.000
that I have seen . Just combined

03:40.000 --> 03:42.230
everything we expect and asked soldiers

03:42.230 --> 03:44.174
to do and they itemize the citizen

03:44.174 --> 03:46.286
soldiers . Soldiers are doing a great

03:46.286 --> 03:49.330
job in a way . The operations here in

03:49.340 --> 03:51.670
Iraq and indeed across the United

03:51.670 --> 03:54.430
States have perhaps created a bit of a

03:54.440 --> 03:57.090
complacency with some elements of our

03:57.090 --> 03:58.868
population because they've been

03:58.868 --> 04:00.979
relatively successful . United States

04:00.979 --> 04:03.034
has not been attacked again since 11

04:03.034 --> 04:05.690
september so there's some questioning

04:05.690 --> 04:07.857
perhaps of whether or not what's going

04:07.857 --> 04:11.390
on here is is worth it . Quite honestly .

04:11.390 --> 04:13.334
I think we have a pretty clear cut

04:13.334 --> 04:15.700
choice . We either deal with terrorism

04:15.700 --> 04:17.756
and this extremism abroad or we deal

04:17.756 --> 04:19.700
with when it comes to us is within

04:19.700 --> 04:22.920
inevitably as it has previously . So

04:22.930 --> 04:25.640
the security forces of our country ,

04:25.650 --> 04:27.990
our police , our homeland security

04:27.990 --> 04:30.710
elements , our intelligence services

04:30.710 --> 04:32.766
and our military operations all have

04:32.766 --> 04:34.821
contributed to that . So overall , I

04:34.821 --> 04:36.821
think that's some of the challenges

04:36.821 --> 04:38.932
that we face here in Iraq and I'll be

04:38.932 --> 04:41.043
happy to try to answer your questions

04:41.043 --> 04:43.500
at this time . General charlie islander

04:43.500 --> 04:47.010
with Reuters , um there was expectation

04:47.020 --> 04:49.187
earlier in the year that you and other

04:49.187 --> 04:51.409
commanders in Iraq . But we'll be ready

04:51.409 --> 04:53.690
to recommend by about this time uh

04:53.720 --> 04:56.770
possible date or possible beginning of

04:56.780 --> 04:58.947
some kind of permanent drawdown of U .

04:58.947 --> 05:01.700
S . Forces in Iraq . Are you ready to

05:01.710 --> 05:04.830
do that ? If I might attack on a couple

05:04.830 --> 05:06.941
of how many troops of the U . S . Now

05:06.941 --> 05:09.320
have in Iraq ? And you expect you begin

05:09.320 --> 05:10.987
drawing those down before the

05:10.987 --> 05:13.209
referendum and the elections ? Will you

05:13.209 --> 05:17.010
have a spike in I guess first . Are you

05:17.010 --> 05:19.110
ready to recommend or have you

05:19.110 --> 05:21.277
recommend the beginning of a permanent

05:21.277 --> 05:23.850
draw down ? We're not at that point yet .

05:23.850 --> 05:26.090
We continually assess the capabilities

05:26.090 --> 05:28.201
of the Iraqi security forces . We say

05:28.201 --> 05:30.960
that it's conditions based clearly , we

05:30.960 --> 05:32.793
know that the insurgents will do

05:32.793 --> 05:34.738
everything they can to disrupt the

05:34.738 --> 05:36.810
ratification of the constitution to

05:36.810 --> 05:39.410
them . That's a terrifying event . The

05:39.420 --> 05:41.531
that the government is established in

05:41.531 --> 05:44.590
Iraq . The decision ultimately over

05:44.590 --> 05:46.757
whether or not and when to draw down ,

05:46.757 --> 05:48.757
we'll not be made . At my level , I

05:48.757 --> 05:50.868
will be a part of that recommendation

05:50.868 --> 05:53.090
at this point . I would not be prepared

05:53.090 --> 05:55.146
to recommended drawdown prior to the

05:55.146 --> 05:56.757
election . Certainly not any

05:56.757 --> 05:58.868
significant numbers and maybe some of

05:58.868 --> 06:00.979
the units that are here now , we will

06:00.979 --> 06:02.757
not ask for replacements and we

06:02.757 --> 06:04.979
continue to assess that . And we're not

06:04.979 --> 06:07.201
at the point where we make the decision

06:07.201 --> 06:09.440
yet again , a follow briefly , how many

06:09.450 --> 06:11.920
forces in the United States now have in

06:11.920 --> 06:14.370
Iraq and you expect it might be a spike .

06:14.370 --> 06:17.900
In fact more a lot of security for the

06:17.900 --> 06:19.956
referendum in the general election ?

06:19.956 --> 06:22.450
Well , there's about

06:22.450 --> 06:25.910
135,000 U . S . Forces here in Iraq and

06:25.910 --> 06:27.910
then there's some others around the

06:27.910 --> 06:29.910
region and provides support . So it

06:29.910 --> 06:31.688
depends on how you add those up

06:31.688 --> 06:34.230
conditions will dictate that . Right

06:34.230 --> 06:36.570
now . I would not be in a position to

06:36.570 --> 06:38.840
recommend any spike . I don't I don't

06:38.840 --> 06:41.310
see that . Is it possible ? Yes , if we

06:41.310 --> 06:43.470
think the conditions have changed but

06:43.470 --> 06:46.820
right now I don't proceed a

06:46.830 --> 06:49.130
spike to support that referendum .

06:49.140 --> 06:52.150
Thank you . General von brock there

06:52.150 --> 06:54.650
from Fox News Channel . Uh , we've

06:54.650 --> 06:56.840
heard a lot about the insurgency and

06:56.840 --> 06:59.170
what the makeup is heard some from

06:59.170 --> 07:01.170
operation of Fear that there's more

07:01.170 --> 07:03.003
evidence of increased numbers of

07:03.003 --> 07:05.570
foreign fighters . Can you break down

07:05.580 --> 07:08.980
what the enemy looks like for us ? And

07:08.990 --> 07:11.260
sir , is there a division within the

07:11.260 --> 07:13.930
enemy ranks ? Perhaps foreign fighters

07:13.930 --> 07:17.910
versus Iraqi insurgents ? A good

07:17.910 --> 07:20.890
question . Good to talk to you before .

07:20.900 --> 07:22.844
Broad groups . I think within this

07:22.844 --> 07:24.844
insurgency and the insurgency quite

07:24.844 --> 07:27.067
honestly is quite narrow . The level of

07:27.067 --> 07:29.670
support for the violence is pretty

07:29.670 --> 07:33.590
narrow jihadists or the Zarqawi

07:33.600 --> 07:35.711
elements sometimes referred to the al

07:35.711 --> 07:37.800
Qaida associated movements . You're

07:37.810 --> 07:41.460
hearing country that number is is not

07:41.460 --> 07:43.990
very large but it is a very violent ,

07:44.000 --> 07:46.550
has access to some technical capability

07:46.560 --> 07:50.060
and it uh it uses foreign fighters

07:50.070 --> 07:53.380
historically , primarily for two murder

07:53.390 --> 07:55.820
other Iraqis . It brings in foreigners

07:55.830 --> 07:57.830
and they kill themselves and others

07:57.830 --> 08:00.570
sometimes in vehicles sometimes was

08:00.580 --> 08:03.460
built but that's a best on and

08:03.460 --> 08:05.920
detonated among among a group . And

08:05.920 --> 08:08.760
it's so foreigners that are brought in

08:08.760 --> 08:10.871
typically do things that Iraqis won't

08:10.871 --> 08:12.871
do each other . That's , that's the

08:12.871 --> 08:15.090
history of them . There are also some

08:15.100 --> 08:18.030
Sunni religious extremists within the

08:18.030 --> 08:20.197
country . That is also a fairly narrow

08:20.197 --> 08:22.470
group . Their opposition to the new

08:22.470 --> 08:24.303
government is based on religious

08:24.303 --> 08:26.500
objections . Again , that group is

08:26.500 --> 08:28.667
quite small , but it is very violent .

08:28.740 --> 08:30.851
Then there's some regime elements who

08:30.851 --> 08:34.210
essentially , a broader group , a few

08:34.210 --> 08:36.610
1000 perhaps if they had a bumper

08:36.610 --> 08:38.666
sticker , it would probably say , if

08:38.666 --> 08:40.554
you like , Saddam , you'd love us

08:40.554 --> 08:44.040
because they want to resume power . And

08:44.040 --> 08:45.929
then there's also some , some , a

08:45.929 --> 08:49.230
broader group of principles soon . But

08:49.240 --> 08:51.980
a large , a fairly significant number

08:51.980 --> 08:55.250
of , of Iraqis want to see all foreign

08:55.250 --> 08:57.139
forces leave the country . That's

08:57.139 --> 08:59.970
understandable . Uh , we we we we have

08:59.970 --> 09:03.450
no long term objectives here . So I'd

09:03.450 --> 09:06.500
say it's four broad groups . What about

09:06.510 --> 09:08.621
the division , is there potentially a

09:08.621 --> 09:11.170
division between foreign fighters and

09:11.180 --> 09:15.110
Iraqi and developing ? Well , I

09:15.120 --> 09:17.370
would say absolutely foreign fighters

09:17.380 --> 09:19.610
coming in here to murder Iraqis . It's

09:19.610 --> 09:23.450
astonishing to me that the

09:23.460 --> 09:25.570
debt is not clearly evident to many

09:25.570 --> 09:27.792
Iraqis , that people recruited in other

09:27.792 --> 09:30.014
countries by extremists who wish to see

09:30.014 --> 09:32.890
seize power are brought into the murder

09:32.900 --> 09:35.590
Children , women , innocent men and men

09:35.590 --> 09:38.590
and women . And now what we see is

09:38.590 --> 09:41.110
those people are hidden from the Iraqi

09:41.110 --> 09:43.332
populists . They don't circulate freely

09:43.332 --> 09:45.332
and they're kept in small cells and

09:45.332 --> 09:47.388
then they brought forth when they're

09:47.388 --> 09:49.499
ready to do their murderous work . So

09:49.499 --> 09:51.443
yes , there is a , a very definite

09:51.443 --> 09:53.710
schism between the foreign fighters in

09:53.710 --> 09:57.090
Iraq and the average Iraqi general ,

09:57.100 --> 09:59.710
if the number of insurgents and foreign

09:59.720 --> 10:03.540
fighters is relatively small and there

10:03.540 --> 10:05.429
is a division between the foreign

10:05.429 --> 10:07.750
fighters and the insurgency . And what

10:07.750 --> 10:09.750
can you tell us about the increased

10:09.750 --> 10:12.110
sophistication of the enemy forces

10:12.120 --> 10:14.540
there ? Where is that coming from ? Is

10:14.540 --> 10:17.190
an internal or are they getting outside

10:17.190 --> 10:20.650
help ? It appears to us that they're

10:20.650 --> 10:22.761
getting outside help to conduct their

10:22.761 --> 10:26.210
insurgency attacks against the civilian

10:26.210 --> 10:29.240
populace . We're certainly uh in May

10:29.240 --> 10:32.680
were highest total since major combat

10:32.680 --> 10:35.030
operations terminated in 2000 and three .

10:35.040 --> 10:37.870
And it is primarily again , murderers

10:37.870 --> 10:40.720
in mass numbers . People who drive cars

10:40.720 --> 10:43.710
in into mosques or in crowded markets

10:43.710 --> 10:47.230
and detonate them and again , is very

10:47.230 --> 10:49.119
difficult to protect the populace

10:49.119 --> 10:51.341
against someone who's willing to murder

10:51.341 --> 10:53.452
themselves and others . So we've seen

10:53.452 --> 10:55.619
an increase the tax against them . The

10:55.619 --> 10:58.010
foreign fighters are what amounts to a

10:58.010 --> 10:59.899
terrorist cruise missile that can

10:59.899 --> 11:01.788
target a specific element without

11:01.788 --> 11:03.566
having to worry about their own

11:03.566 --> 11:05.820
survival . So they chose to use those

11:05.820 --> 11:07.900
in numbers because in reality

11:07.900 --> 11:10.011
insurgency is not very broad , You're

11:10.011 --> 11:12.520
not seeing large numbers of armed

11:12.530 --> 11:14.900
groups , You're seeing one in two

11:14.910 --> 11:16.743
person cells that are , that are

11:16.743 --> 11:20.470
attacking a large group driving into a

11:20.480 --> 11:22.647
crowded market and detonate themselves

11:23.150 --> 11:25.261
and if I just follow up , please have

11:25.261 --> 11:27.390
the sophistication aspect , just how

11:27.390 --> 11:29.501
sophisticated as the enemy become And

11:29.501 --> 11:31.700
where is it believed that they are

11:31.700 --> 11:34.570
getting this outside advice expertise ?

11:34.580 --> 11:37.380
Well , they're certainly getting some

11:37.390 --> 11:39.557
outside advice . But there is there is

11:39.557 --> 11:41.446
some technical expertise that was

11:41.446 --> 11:43.446
resident in the in the Iraqi army ,

11:43.446 --> 11:45.960
probably from their explosive ordnance

11:45.970 --> 11:49.870
personnel . And in reality it is not

11:49.870 --> 11:51.648
so much that there's incredible

11:51.648 --> 11:53.481
technical expertise , but we see

11:53.481 --> 11:56.150
occasionally multiple IEDs , we might

11:56.150 --> 11:58.372
see an improvised explosive device that

11:58.372 --> 12:00.890
would detonate . And then when the

12:00.900 --> 12:02.900
first responders , they're both the

12:02.900 --> 12:05.290
Iraqi security forces and the coalition

12:05.290 --> 12:07.512
forces arrive on the same , perhaps one

12:07.512 --> 12:09.679
will detonate 30 minutes later . Their

12:09.679 --> 12:11.846
tactics have become more sophisticated

12:11.846 --> 12:13.846
in some cases , to be sure . And so

12:13.850 --> 12:16.720
that is that is again terrorism enabled

12:16.730 --> 12:19.960
by some limited military capacity and

12:19.960 --> 12:22.016
it is resident here in the country .

12:22.030 --> 12:24.710
And I'm sorry to press this . Where is

12:24.720 --> 12:26.942
this outside expertise coming from ? Is

12:26.942 --> 12:30.770
that uh , the

12:30.780 --> 12:33.250
suicide bombers , of course , you know ,

12:33.260 --> 12:35.482
you heard where they're probably coming

12:35.482 --> 12:37.610
from . They're coming for some places

12:37.610 --> 12:40.730
like Sudan Yemen Saudi Arabia Egypt ,

12:40.740 --> 12:43.260
that is our belief that the tactical

12:43.260 --> 12:46.180
expertise to do that capability exists

12:46.180 --> 12:50.080
here in the country . Generally

12:50.080 --> 12:52.191
familiar from a few radio . I want to

12:52.191 --> 12:54.302
get you to clarify a couple of things

12:54.302 --> 12:56.636
that you said earlier in your statement .

12:56.636 --> 12:58.858
He said that where the Iraqi forces are

12:58.858 --> 13:01.080
well led that they're performing well .

13:01.080 --> 13:03.247
Um is there a leadership problem which

13:03.247 --> 13:05.469
exists ? Or is it simply that you can't

13:05.469 --> 13:07.691
get people up and running again quickly

13:07.691 --> 13:09.691
enough ? And the other thing that I

13:09.691 --> 13:09.250
wanted to ask you about , you were

13:09.250 --> 13:12.450
saying that your concerns about

13:12.460 --> 13:14.470
government capacity to support

13:14.480 --> 13:16.702
operations , can you go on a little bit

13:16.702 --> 13:19.420
on what you mean by that ? Sure ,

13:19.430 --> 13:21.597
leadership is something that has to be

13:21.597 --> 13:23.870
developed . People don't just walk up

13:23.880 --> 13:25.936
and say I'm a leader and demonstrate

13:25.936 --> 13:27.991
capacity and so consequently keep in

13:27.991 --> 13:31.340
mind that we hit the one year mark uh

13:31.350 --> 13:33.580
next week . And so leaders have to

13:33.580 --> 13:35.802
develop and there have been many strong

13:35.802 --> 13:38.160
leaders have emerged and great leaders

13:38.160 --> 13:40.260
and other units uh still have to be

13:40.260 --> 13:42.427
found . And let's just be honest about

13:42.427 --> 13:46.080
that . So it is not not a case of not

13:46.080 --> 13:48.760
having quality persons that they exist ,

13:48.770 --> 13:50.770
but sometimes you have to make sure

13:50.770 --> 13:52.881
that they're in the right place . And

13:52.881 --> 13:55.214
so developing leaders takes a long time .

13:55.214 --> 13:57.270
We know this uh for example , in the

13:57.270 --> 13:59.437
United States military , it's a , it's

13:59.437 --> 14:01.548
a career long progression in terms of

14:01.548 --> 14:03.714
national capacity . Many of the things

14:03.714 --> 14:05.992
that we take for granted , for example ,

14:05.992 --> 14:07.992
in the United States are logistical

14:07.992 --> 14:09.714
support that comes from a well

14:09.714 --> 14:11.937
developed Department of Defense and our

14:11.937 --> 14:14.103
various depots are personnel systems ,

14:14.103 --> 14:16.270
ensure well trained replacements , the

14:16.270 --> 14:18.670
ability to deliver pay on time every

14:18.670 --> 14:21.140
time , those capacities are not

14:21.140 --> 14:23.196
resident in a government that didn't

14:23.196 --> 14:25.880
exist a year ago . And so we have to

14:25.880 --> 14:28.080
make sure that when we're providing

14:28.090 --> 14:30.690
food for soldiers , that that food is

14:30.700 --> 14:32.700
is available every day , when we're

14:32.700 --> 14:34.922
providing life support that's available

14:34.922 --> 14:37.170
every day . And so , developing the

14:37.170 --> 14:39.490
capacity for a bureaucracy , which

14:39.500 --> 14:42.290
bureaucracy has taken on perhaps a

14:42.300 --> 14:44.411
negative connotation in some parts of

14:44.411 --> 14:46.633
the United States , but the bureaucracy

14:46.633 --> 14:48.689
is necessary to sustain a government

14:48.689 --> 14:50.633
and certainly the sustain security

14:50.633 --> 14:52.856
forces and that's what's in the process

14:52.856 --> 14:55.600
of being developed and it takes time to

14:55.650 --> 14:57.650
follow up on that . How long do you

14:57.650 --> 14:59.706
think that's going to take a year or

14:59.706 --> 15:02.810
two years by ? It will be a continuous

15:02.810 --> 15:05.570
process and that is not my primary area

15:05.570 --> 15:08.160
of focus . I use the forces that the

15:08.170 --> 15:10.860
bureaucracy sustains and fields , so I

15:10.860 --> 15:12.804
have less visibility on that other

15:12.804 --> 15:15.360
other agencies are working that and

15:15.360 --> 15:18.540
we've seen progress . But uh I suspect

15:18.540 --> 15:21.410
it will be working at still developing

15:21.410 --> 15:23.521
capacity a couple of years from now .

15:23.521 --> 15:26.800
That would be my guess general manager