WEBVTT 00:00.440 --> 00:04.000 Uh huh . Hey Colonel Breitbart with Fox 00:04.000 --> 00:05.722 News channel just to follow on 00:05.722 --> 00:07.611 charlie's questions , Do you have 00:07.611 --> 00:09.940 enough U . S . Troops in Western Iraq 00:09.950 --> 00:12.120 to continue these operations and hold 00:12.130 --> 00:14.130 these cities ? The criticism as you 00:14.130 --> 00:16.300 know has been that you have successful 00:16.300 --> 00:18.710 operations and then have to go back and 00:18.710 --> 00:20.900 do them again because the insurgents 00:20.900 --> 00:23.122 and terrorists come back and infiltrate 00:23.122 --> 00:26.470 these cities and towns . Okay , what 00:26.470 --> 00:29.060 gives us the ability to sort of clear 00:29.060 --> 00:31.090 and hold as a counterinsurgency 00:31.090 --> 00:33.490 strategy is the capability of Iraqi 00:33.490 --> 00:35.657 security forces And I think we have to 00:35.657 --> 00:37.601 remember , you know that the enemy 00:37.601 --> 00:39.768 attacked the Iraqi security forces and 00:39.768 --> 00:41.934 very focused matter of the last couple 00:41.934 --> 00:43.823 of years . Why was that ? Because 00:43.823 --> 00:46.046 that's the greatest danger to them ? So 00:46.046 --> 00:48.379 so I think we we tend to give the enemy , 00:48.379 --> 00:50.323 you know too much credit ourselves 00:50.323 --> 00:52.434 credit sometimes . You know we've got 00:52.434 --> 00:52.080 the right strategy here which is to 00:52.080 --> 00:54.270 build Iraqi security forces which can 00:54.270 --> 00:56.103 secure the population from these 00:56.103 --> 00:58.214 terrorists in these murders . And the 00:58.214 --> 01:00.103 key thing is for us to be able to 01:00.103 --> 01:02.159 reconstitute this area . That's what 01:02.159 --> 01:02.130 we're really doing is rebuilding 01:02.130 --> 01:04.240 reconstituting police forces which 01:04.240 --> 01:06.520 would suffer from a focused attack by 01:06.520 --> 01:09.160 the enemy last fall . Uh so that so 01:09.160 --> 01:11.104 that the police can be the primary 01:11.104 --> 01:13.110 level of security . And now what is 01:13.110 --> 01:15.730 what is fundamentally changed from 01:15.730 --> 01:18.650 operations conducted previously uh is 01:18.650 --> 01:20.790 that is that we have a capable Iraqi 01:20.790 --> 01:22.790 army formation to provide them with 01:22.790 --> 01:25.110 backup now as Iraqi army ready to do 01:25.110 --> 01:26.999 that on their own yet ? No I mean 01:26.999 --> 01:29.110 they're not they have some additional 01:29.110 --> 01:31.221 capabilities that got to develop some 01:31.221 --> 01:33.388 of these longer term capabilities that 01:33.388 --> 01:33.320 they need the ability commanding 01:33.320 --> 01:35.400 control operations over these wide 01:35.410 --> 01:37.354 areas . They need some more mobile 01:37.354 --> 01:39.354 protected platforms , you know , so 01:39.354 --> 01:41.466 that they can overmatch the enemy and 01:41.466 --> 01:43.577 tactical engagements . They need some 01:43.577 --> 01:45.577 greater logistical capabilities and 01:45.577 --> 01:47.743 they need to develop some some some uh 01:47.743 --> 01:49.743 some more experienced and effective 01:49.743 --> 01:51.910 leadership , JR leadership Sergeants , 01:51.910 --> 01:54.132 you know , the strength of our army . I 01:54.132 --> 01:56.132 mean it hasn't existed in this army 01:56.132 --> 01:58.188 previously and it takes some time to 01:58.188 --> 02:00.021 develop that some junior officer 02:00.021 --> 02:02.243 leadership , but we're going to work on 02:02.243 --> 02:04.521 all those things . And and for example , 02:04.521 --> 02:06.577 we just graduated another 50 for non 02:06.577 --> 02:06.160 commissioned officers from the Ceo 02:06.160 --> 02:08.327 academy that we're running here at the 02:08.327 --> 02:10.549 division headquarters , anarchistic was 02:10.549 --> 02:12.382 the second of those classes . We 02:12.382 --> 02:14.493 started an officer training class the 02:14.493 --> 02:16.560 next week . Uh we've got uh we've 02:16.570 --> 02:18.626 gotten sticky who is helping us with 02:18.626 --> 02:20.792 with equipment , this force better and 02:20.792 --> 02:22.737 giving them some mobile protective 02:22.737 --> 02:24.681 platforms and we're working on the 02:24.681 --> 02:26.959 logistical command control issues . So , 02:26.959 --> 02:29.014 so just uh the question previously , 02:29.014 --> 02:31.290 you know , it's not all rosy but it's 02:31.290 --> 02:33.568 positive , it's in the right direction . 02:33.568 --> 02:35.623 And and and we got to see it through 02:35.630 --> 02:37.741 and and will it take coalition forces 02:37.741 --> 02:40.860 to back up the Iraqi Army until until 02:40.860 --> 02:43.082 they develop those capabilities . Yes . 02:43.082 --> 02:45.249 Uh when will the Iraqi Army have those 02:45.249 --> 02:47.249 capabilities , I think we've got to 02:47.249 --> 02:49.471 we've got to understand that the future 02:49.471 --> 02:51.638 course of events , depends not only on 02:51.638 --> 02:53.804 what we do but on on enemy actions and 02:53.804 --> 02:55.749 initiatives which are difficult to 02:55.749 --> 02:57.749 predict . So I think what our Iraqi 02:57.749 --> 02:59.804 brothers need to know is we're gonna 02:59.804 --> 03:01.916 stand by him until they develop these 03:01.916 --> 03:04.138 these autonomous capabilities . And and 03:04.138 --> 03:03.450 and and we've communicated them , we're 03:03.450 --> 03:05.770 committed to doing that . And uh and 03:05.770 --> 03:07.381 I'll say our relationship is 03:07.381 --> 03:09.630 extraordinarily positive with our Iraqi 03:09.630 --> 03:11.519 army counterparts and and they're 03:11.519 --> 03:13.630 getting more effective every day . We 03:13.630 --> 03:15.574 we learn from them as much as they 03:15.574 --> 03:17.686 learn from us and you understand what 03:17.686 --> 03:19.852 the language and cultural barriers are 03:19.852 --> 03:21.963 here . They bring a much deeper level 03:21.963 --> 03:24.130 of cultural understanding and we could 03:24.130 --> 03:26.241 achieve through our cultural training 03:26.241 --> 03:28.463 programs uh and and uh and they bring a 03:28.463 --> 03:30.352 tremendous infantry capability to 03:30.352 --> 03:32.574 combine with our with our combined arms 03:32.574 --> 03:34.241 capability within the cavalry 03:34.241 --> 03:36.297 formations that we've been employing 03:36.297 --> 03:38.550 here . So , so uh you know , is there 03:38.550 --> 03:40.661 enough force here right now to secure 03:40.661 --> 03:42.494 this area permanently ? No other 03:42.494 --> 03:44.717 opportunities for the enemy uh in other 03:44.717 --> 03:46.772 areas within our region ? Yes , what 03:46.772 --> 03:48.994 we're focused every day on taking those 03:48.994 --> 03:51.161 options away from the enemy , clearing 03:51.161 --> 03:53.650 additional areas and uh and the enemy 03:53.650 --> 03:55.539 is on the run and they're they're 03:55.539 --> 03:57.761 losing , they don't have many places to 03:57.761 --> 03:59.928 go now , you know , there's still some 03:59.928 --> 03:59.490 places to go , but we're gonna take 03:59.490 --> 04:01.601 them away from them next . And uh and 04:01.601 --> 04:03.823 we'll continue to conduct operations in 04:03.823 --> 04:05.934 those outlying areas to disrupt their 04:05.934 --> 04:07.879 disrupt their ability until we can 04:07.879 --> 04:09.601 establish a permanent security 04:09.601 --> 04:12.710 capability with police and army . Uh 04:12.720 --> 04:15.850 Colonel uh golfers from associated 04:15.850 --> 04:18.210 breath , have you captured or killed 04:18.210 --> 04:20.432 any known associates of Zarqawi in this 04:20.432 --> 04:23.310 operation ? And also as the extremists 04:23.310 --> 04:25.310 have fled the city , have they left 04:25.310 --> 04:26.866 behind ? Have you found any 04:26.866 --> 04:29.088 unconventional weapons or other unusual 04:29.088 --> 04:32.080 items ? Has a great question . Yes , We 04:32.080 --> 04:34.790 have , we have captured many associates 04:34.790 --> 04:37.890 of Zarqawi . Uh , we have captured many 04:37.890 --> 04:40.112 of the leaders who were targeted during 04:40.112 --> 04:42.279 this operation . And uh , I don't know 04:42.279 --> 04:44.446 what has been released so far , so I'm 04:44.446 --> 04:46.668 not going to comment on the specifics . 04:46.668 --> 04:48.890 Uh , we have been very effective with a 04:48.890 --> 04:50.779 broader team here and specialized 04:50.779 --> 04:54.120 capabilities to to track down the enemy 04:54.120 --> 04:56.420 leadership . And uh , and this is very 04:56.420 --> 04:58.420 important part of this part of this 04:58.420 --> 05:00.620 campaign because these are the 05:00.620 --> 05:02.731 intimidators , These are the worst of 05:02.731 --> 05:05.070 the worst . And uh and and we have been 05:05.070 --> 05:07.237 very effective against them . They are 05:07.237 --> 05:09.459 associates , Zarqawi . They are some of 05:09.459 --> 05:11.570 the worst human beings on the face of 05:11.570 --> 05:13.459 the earth . And uh , and and uh , 05:13.459 --> 05:15.514 because there's no , no , there's no 05:15.514 --> 05:17.820 really greater pleasure than than uh 05:17.830 --> 05:20.100 for us than to kill or capture these 05:20.100 --> 05:22.560 particular individuals . Um , in terms 05:22.560 --> 05:25.580 of specialized weapons , some crude 05:25.590 --> 05:28.090 attempts , I think uh , in the western 05:28.090 --> 05:30.201 part of the city , we've been able to 05:30.201 --> 05:32.534 put this picture together now . Um , uh , 05:32.534 --> 05:34.423 the the enemy had rigged a lot of 05:34.423 --> 05:36.590 buildings for for destruction and they 05:36.590 --> 05:38.646 wanted to time these buildings , the 05:38.646 --> 05:40.812 destruction . These buildings with the 05:40.812 --> 05:42.979 with the entry of our forces . And one 05:42.979 --> 05:45.257 of these buildings , the enemy had had , 05:45.257 --> 05:47.312 uh , big barrels of chemicals . They 05:47.312 --> 05:49.201 had explosives and planted in the 05:49.201 --> 05:51.423 chemicals , wires running around in the 05:51.423 --> 05:53.646 whole house was rigged for demolition . 05:53.646 --> 05:55.757 Around this house , a lot of families 05:55.757 --> 05:57.534 were living . Our soldiers were 05:57.534 --> 05:57.450 collecting an aerial reconnaissance 05:57.450 --> 05:59.580 operation . They went into this house 05:59.590 --> 06:01.757 immediately , their eyes began burning 06:01.757 --> 06:03.868 in the throat , began burning so that 06:03.868 --> 06:06.034 we grew out of the house immediately . 06:06.034 --> 06:08.090 And then we conducted reconnaissance 06:08.090 --> 06:10.257 with some chemical protective gear and 06:10.257 --> 06:12.423 with with with a remote reconnaissance 06:12.423 --> 06:14.368 capability into the house . And we 06:14.368 --> 06:16.368 could tell that the thing was ready 06:16.368 --> 06:18.423 with chemicals , we stopped . All of 06:18.423 --> 06:20.534 our operations were actually pursuing 06:20.534 --> 06:22.590 particular enemy . But this was more 06:22.590 --> 06:22.560 important . We evacuated the civilians 06:22.560 --> 06:25.110 from the area and then we we , uh , we , 06:25.120 --> 06:28.010 uh , we , uh , demolished uh , that 06:28.010 --> 06:30.343 building without a hazard to the people . 06:30.343 --> 06:32.454 I don't know if you've been following 06:32.454 --> 06:34.232 some of the some of the enemy's 06:34.232 --> 06:36.399 propaganda . You know , one of the one 06:36.399 --> 06:38.454 of the cells in this enemy structure 06:38.454 --> 06:37.900 here , this very well developed in the 06:37.900 --> 06:40.820 structure is a is a propaganda . So , 06:40.830 --> 06:43.210 and and on the on the sort of jihadist 06:43.210 --> 06:45.321 and extremist websites , they've been 06:45.321 --> 06:47.266 saying , you know , that coalition 06:47.266 --> 06:49.377 forces are using chemical weapons . I 06:49.377 --> 06:51.377 think what they had hoped to do was 06:51.377 --> 06:53.543 detonate this building , kill innocent 06:53.543 --> 06:55.599 civilians in this neighborhood . And 06:55.599 --> 06:57.766 then blame it on on coalition forces , 06:57.766 --> 06:57.380 but we preempted their ability to do 06:57.380 --> 06:59.570 that by evacuating the civilians from 06:59.570 --> 07:01.459 that building . That's that's one 07:01.459 --> 07:04.300 that's one uh example of it . We found 07:04.300 --> 07:06.480 some manuals that describe how they 07:06.480 --> 07:08.313 could make sort of these kind of 07:08.313 --> 07:10.424 chemical bombs and so forth . But you 07:10.424 --> 07:12.591 know , if the enemy had the capability 07:12.591 --> 07:14.369 use it , I mean , this enemy is 07:14.369 --> 07:16.536 absolutely unscrupulous . And uh and I 07:16.536 --> 07:18.591 have no doubt that they would use it 07:18.591 --> 07:20.758 against against innocent civilians and 07:20.758 --> 07:22.591 our own forces . So all the more 07:22.591 --> 07:22.130 important reason to make sure they 07:22.130 --> 07:24.130 don't have a place to develop these 07:24.130 --> 07:26.241 kind of plans to conduct this kind of 07:26.241 --> 07:28.297 training and and that's what I think 07:28.297 --> 07:30.130 one of the , one of the greatest 07:30.130 --> 07:32.241 success of this operation is the safe 07:32.241 --> 07:34.930 haven is gone for them . All right . Uh 07:34.940 --> 07:37.107 Colonel Jamie McIntyre from CNN , just 07:37.107 --> 07:40.580 a couple of basic how many troops 07:40.590 --> 07:43.230 are involved in this overall operation ? 07:43.240 --> 07:47.130 What is the mix between us and Iraqi 07:47.140 --> 07:49.350 and you talked about the casualties 07:49.360 --> 07:51.416 that you've inflicted on the enemy . 07:51.416 --> 07:53.770 Who can tell us what sort of casualties 07:53.780 --> 07:57.650 you've taken over the 14 days ? 07:58.240 --> 08:02.080 Uh , this operation includes over 5000 08:02.080 --> 08:05.000 Iraqi security forces . About 3500 08:05.000 --> 08:08.920 growing maybe to about 3800 of of 08:08.920 --> 08:11.320 our of our forces . Uh that number 08:11.320 --> 08:13.320 fluctuates from day to day as units 08:13.320 --> 08:16.800 arrive and as as as units apart . Um 08:16.810 --> 08:20.020 we uh we you know , we we have suffered 08:20.030 --> 08:22.870 casualties . Um It depends on what 08:22.870 --> 08:24.860 period of time to talk about the 08:24.860 --> 08:27.082 numbers of casualties . I gave you some 08:27.082 --> 08:29.249 specific numbers for a specific window 08:29.249 --> 08:31.880 of time . Um The most recent U . S . 08:31.880 --> 08:34.700 Casualties uh involved one of one of 08:34.700 --> 08:37.180 our troopers who was killed um in 08:37.180 --> 08:39.347 action in the western part of the city 08:39.347 --> 08:42.470 uh several days ago . Uh the since the 08:42.470 --> 08:44.748 beginning of this operation , you know , 08:44.748 --> 08:46.748 this operation going as I mentioned 08:46.748 --> 08:48.970 since since really May , but this focus 08:48.970 --> 08:51.081 part of the operation of the last two 08:51.081 --> 08:51.070 weeks , we've had 11 of our troopers 08:51.070 --> 08:53.110 wounded , most of whom who have 08:53.120 --> 08:56.140 courageously returned to duty to 08:56.140 --> 08:58.400 continue to pursue the enemy . In terms 08:58.400 --> 09:02.280 of brave Iraqis who have who have 09:02.280 --> 09:04.169 been killed in action during this 09:04.169 --> 09:06.590 operation . Uh It is it is eight of our 09:06.590 --> 09:08.790 brothers have fallen alongside of us . 09:08.800 --> 09:12.160 Uh They they they have been killed in 09:12.170 --> 09:13.948 in uh and some cowardly attacks 09:13.948 --> 09:16.520 involving a suicide bomber on one 09:16.520 --> 09:18.890 occasion . And uh and and a couple of I . 09:18.890 --> 09:21.630 E . D . Attacks , 19 Iraqi troopers 09:21.640 --> 09:24.450 soldiers have been wounded during this 09:24.450 --> 09:27.960 operation . And and uh for civilians , 09:27.970 --> 09:29.692 uh we think they caught in the 09:29.692 --> 09:32.640 crossfire during this operation that 09:32.650 --> 09:35.850 that 3 to 6 depending on on where these 09:35.850 --> 09:38.740 casualties occurred uh of civilians 09:38.740 --> 09:40.810 were uh were killed during this 09:40.810 --> 09:43.040 operation . Now the enemy has has 09:43.040 --> 09:45.151 attacked and killed more civilians as 09:45.151 --> 09:47.710 they had , you know consistently in to 09:47.710 --> 09:49.877 offer . I think one of the things that 09:49.877 --> 09:51.766 all of us are proudest of in this 09:51.766 --> 09:53.932 operation is how the discipline of our 09:53.932 --> 09:56.154 soldiers and their ability to overwhelm 09:56.154 --> 09:58.488 the enemy and every tactical engagement , 09:58.488 --> 10:01.210 but apply firepower with discipline and 10:01.210 --> 10:03.154 discrimination has saved civilians 10:03.154 --> 10:05.210 lives . I mean , far more civilians 10:05.220 --> 10:07.220 have been killed in slot on a daily 10:07.220 --> 10:10.410 basis , just by the terrorists who who 10:10.410 --> 10:12.960 were attacking them . Uh , they have , 10:12.970 --> 10:15.310 uh , they have fallen during this 10:15.310 --> 10:17.199 operation itself . So I hope that 10:17.199 --> 10:19.366 answers your question . I can probably 10:19.366 --> 10:21.366 get through through brian some more 10:21.366 --> 10:24.110 specific details in terms of time and 10:24.110 --> 10:26.277 that sort of thing . If if if you need 10:26.277 --> 10:26.710 that information .