By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

General David Petraeus
Photo By Michael Ruhl

According to General David Petraeus, an educated American soldier that can bridge the cultural divide with the Muslim world can more effectively fight the War on Terror. This soldier would understand the social context they are operating within, and would understand the broad implications and consequences of military action.

General Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command, discussed U.S. military strategy in the Middle East and South Asia while testifying today before Congress.

“While additional military forces clearly are necessary (in Afghanistan), they will not by themselves be sufficient to achieve our objective,” said the General. America’s objective, he said, is to make sure extremists do not have a haven from which to plan and execute another attack on the level of the 9-11 attacks.

A smarter military can better understand the necessary social infrastructure to facilitate lasting peace within a region. This combined with intelligent military action, international cooperation, the building of infrastructure and a swath of other initiatives will help America secure the region, according to Petraeus. “You cannot kill or capture your way out of an industrial strength insurgency,” the General said.

“We also need to expand just the basic knowledge of Afghanistan among our forces,” Petraeus said. He continued that greater knowledge will lead to a “nuanced and granular understanding” that will enable the Army to undertake the kind of sophisticated reconciliation processes in Afghanistan that were important in Iraq.

Congressman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) agreed that soldiers should be educated, and brought attention to the U.S. Army’s Homestead Program. Dicks said this program involves an Officer taking a year off from active service to live in a country, learn the language, and understand the culture. Retired Army General John Abizaid did a program similar to this. Abizaid was former Commander of U.S. Central Command.

The U.S. Army could not be reached for comment on the current funding of the program, but Dicks expressed concern on the small number of individuals enrolled in it.

The necessary approach to success involves placing security in the hands of the Afghans, Petraeus said, which means helping them collectively realize that the biggest security threat in the region comes from dissident extremist elements within the country, most notably Al-Qaeda. He emphasized that America’s presence in Afghanistan is not permanent, and that Afghanistan’s government and economy must be encouraged by its citizens.

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

General David Petraeus says before Congress that it is important for soldiers to have an expanded understanding of Afghanistan, so that the army can function better as a whole. (01:18)

 

 Standard Podcast [01:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

America must invest more time, money, and human resources to help those displaced by the ongoing Iraq War, according to human rights advocates from the Washington, D.C.-based Refugees International.

The presence of 2.6 million displaced Iraqis persons is overwhelming to neighboring Middle East countries and is “undermining” to the social fabric of Iraq, said Ken Bacon, President of Refugees International, at a speech made today at the National Press Club.

President Barack Obama talked about displacement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his surprise visit to Iraq on Tuesday.

Bacon is happy at what is being seen as a distinct change from the “little attention” that the Bush Administration paid to Iraqi displacement.

It is estimated that since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, 2.6 million Iraqi’s have lost their homes and have fled other parts of the country. An additional 2 million have fled to neighboring countries, including Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

Bacon said that greater American and international support in receiving refugees and providing financial-aid can help stop the crisis.

Displacement of that many people “affects the whole region”, said Bacon, which results in educated citizens and specialized workers fleeing the country.

There are only 18,000 practicing doctors in Iraq, down from 32,000 doctors in 2002. There are more Iraqi doctors in Jordan than in Iraq’s capitol city of Baghdad, Bacon said.

Last year Democratic Senators Robert Casey (PA) and Benjamin Cardin (MD) introduced a bill to increase aid to Iraqi refugees and allow more of them to enter the United States. Since the FY2010 Budget has been approved by Congress, any appropriated funds to help Iraqi citizens would have to come through additional legislation, Bacon said.

A spokesman for Senator Cardin said it has not been decided yet if similar legislation would be introduced in this Congress.

Refugee International’s Field Report on the Iraqi refugee situation said that the Iraqi government is trying to keep more of its citizens from fleeing their homeland. It is feared by the Iraqi government that the existence of so many refugees tarnishes the image of overall security within the country.

The report also said Iraq violated international refugee laws in 2007 by asking Syria not to accept any more Iraqi refugees.

Many refugees have fears of returning home, the report says, because many of those that returned already have been killed.

Kristele Younes, an advocate with Refugees International, says that security is a major issue in Iraqi neighborhoods, with each little borough acting as its own walled off “fiefdom”.

Younes said that the United Nations is trying to place a tourniquet on the flow of persons out of the country by the end of the year, but significant challenges remain in Iraq, including budgetary shortcomings due to low oil prices, corruption within the government and sectarianism.

The Refugees International’s report on Iraq can be found here.

“We are working hard to work ourselves out of a job,” Army Col. Mark Dewhurst, commander of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, said during a live brief from Iraq. The combined efforts with the Iraqi security forces are the cornerstone against insurgents, Dewhurst said, and he’s seen a lot of developments in the area in the year since he’s been there. Listed among the most surprising, “the amount of traffic jams,” was among them. This, actually, is evidence of how well the Iraqi Security Forces are functioning, Dewhurst said, because it means that people are coming out to the market places. Of particular note is a landmark in Baghdad that Dewhurst called the “Book Market.” Practically obliterated in March of 2007, the Book Market is due to open most likely by next week, and it was rebuilt on the initiative and work of the Iraq government itself, he said.

Also in Baghdad is the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, with Team Leader Conrad Tribble helping the Iraqis find “Iraqi solutions” to their own problems. There are five main areas that the PRT is working on, Tribble said. Assistance with governance, political development, business and economic growth, non-governmental organizations, and reconciliations among communities, are the goals the PRT strives toward. Governance, specifically, was elaborated on, with Tribble saying they “Coach, Teach, Mentor’ the Iraqi people, specifically with municipal city works, planning, budgeting, resource management, and how to track service requests. “A lot of it is very mundane,” Tribble said, but they are being taught how to conduct day to day level things. It’s “very nuts and bolts,” he said, and “not very glamorous.”

This is the first administration transition during wartime in forty years, and traditionally, a crisis will occur during that period, said Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a press briefing at the Pentagon.

Mullen said he believes it’s critical to pursue all the issues in the CJCS Guidance memorandum, which includes defending vital National interests in the broader Middle East; Resetting, Reconstituting, and Revitalizing our Forces; and properly balancing our global strategic risk. In addition to these issues, he said, there is a whole range of other global concerns such as tensions in Eurasia and Africa, and the impact of the economic crisis.

The Joint Staff has done a lot of work to prepare, he said, and he’s comfortable they are meeting the goals of the transition to the new administration [of Barack Obama]. We serve one leader, he said, and that’s the sitting Commander in Chief.

During the question and answer period, Mullen said he assumes the pirates that captured the super oil tanker off the coast of Saudi Arabia on Saturday, November 15, will ask for a ransom. The piracy does not seem to be connected to al-Qaeda or terrorism, he said.

Dismantling the forces in Iraq is “very doable” but it’s not the sort of thing we can do overnight, Mullen said. In regards to “we have to be out by 2011,” Mullen said it’s in his view that three years is a long time, and conditions can change. We will continue to have discussions with them [the Iraqis], he said, and clearly it’s theoretically possible to pull the troops out by 2011 but conditions would dictate the outcome. We have 150,000 troops in Iraq right now, and a lot of equipment, Mullen said, and clearly we want to be able to withdraw the troops safely.

It is his understanding, Mullen continued, that the Status of Forces Agreement troop withdrawal specifics is in regard to American troops, and does include removal from certain cities by the year 2009. Using Baghdad as an example, Mullen said they’ve been improving security and are attempting to turn one city over at a time [to the Iraqis].

Upon being directly questioned and asked for a yes or no answer, Mullen simply answered “yes” to the specifics of the SOFA agreement: yes, American troops have to be out of Iraq by 2011 regardless of conditions.

As for the timetable of “16 months” (the policy stated by President-Elect Obama), Mullen said that he looks forward to the discussion he will have with Obama, and will give him the “best advice I can.” He continued, saying, “I will not pre-state” what that conversation will entail.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, speaking at a ceremony in Baghdad, praises Gen. David Petraeus as he prepares to leave his post as Multinational Force commander in Iraq to take over the post of Combatant commander for Central Command. (0:27)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

While traveling to Baghdad, the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaks about the transition of security in Iraq from the surge strategy to more of an overwatch role. Gates says that the U.S. will still be engaged even as Iraqi security forces start to take over responsibility for several provinces. (0:43)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

From the beginning, we have been a team, and our mission is to get rid of all the militias and all insurgents in Iraq, Major General Ali Salih Farhood Oothman, Commander of the 8th Iraqi Army Division, said through an interpreter during a live-via-satellite Pentagon press briefing from Camp Victory in Baghdad. Oothman, head of a division that covers 24% of Iraq consisting of five Iraqi provinces including the Iranian border and Saudi Arabian border, said that his responsibilities in the area are complex because of al-Qaida. However, al-Qaida is not his greatest threat.

The greatest threat according to Oothman is the special militias. In his area of operation, he has both al-Qaida and special militias. In the capital cities of the provinces, he says, there are the militias. The reason for the higher threat level, is that the special groups are trained and equipped by the Iranians. Those groups don’t face you, he said, they use IEDs (improvised explosive devices), or they “stab us in the back” with their politicians. Because the militias are not able to face the Iraqi Army directly, they go to Iran, where they are trained, equipped, and then sent back in to assassinate leaders.

Present as well was Army Major General Michael Oates, Commander of the Multi-National Division Center and the 10th Mountain Division. He agreed with Oothman’s assessment of the Iraq Army’s capabilities, stating that the Army, although much improved and better off than in 2006, demonstrates that there is a need to raise the comparable level of operations that they are responsible for. Four things, Oates said, are needed: we need to work on improving their [Iraqi Army] forces, civics courses need to be given to learn how to assess Iraq’s civilian needs, we need to go after AQI (al-Qaida in Iraq), and we need to reduce the Iranian influence within Iraq.

The topic brought up most frequently during the brief was the inadequate training and supplies. Oates pointed out that the Iraqi Army has been fighting “right out of the box” since the beginning, and was never able to be properly trained. Watching their [Iraqi] army operate, Oates said, he sees that they are very capable and they are seeking initiative in performing their own operations, but we [United States] still are providing valuable assistance. The Iraqi Army is “coming along” but they are not sophisticated with reconnaissance and surveillance. Professionalism is what is missing; the army went into combat with no training, they’ve been in constant combat since 2003, and it’s been tough for them to learn logistics.

Oothman said that since the beginning, they had to work to train their officers. They conducted several training services for their officers, and they send medics to learn some training and they are more professional than they used to be. But to be independent in this battle, Oothman said, we have to not only learn administrative and logistical duties, but we need something else: medical facilities and garages to maintain our vehicles. 80% of these needs are met by coalition forces, and there is currently no plan to build a hospital or a garage.

The Iraqi Army is showing initiative, Oates said, I’m proud to serve with them and I’m here to provide whatever assistance I can. They are making huge strides. We [the United States] should be proud of our soldiers, and they are performing magnificently.

Congress members Anna G. Eshoo and Frank Wolf held a briefing today on the “Plight of Iraq’s Christians and Other Religious Minorities.” The guest speakers were the vice president of Resettlement of the International Rescue Committee, Bob Carey, the Middle East program officer of Mercy Corp, Emily Gish, the executive director of Chaldean Federation of America (CASCA), Joseph Kassab, and the senior fellow of Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute, Nina Shea.

Nina Shea started the briefing by resenting her experiences and the research that she has conducted in the Middle East. She talked about the injustices, discrimination and the atrocities carried out by various Muslim extremists in Iraq. Forty churches have been bombed, twelve priests killed, Archbishops murdered, Christian churches have and are being decapitated. Recently, ten days ago, a priest was killed in Baghdad. Mandeans, a Christian minority are being murdered; only few have remained. These cases are not being investigated or followed by the police or any other international organizations.
As a result of this, two-thirds of the Iraqi Christians have fled the country and found refuge in Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and elsewhere in the region. The remaining one-third lives in the North near the Kurdistan borders. (more…)

At the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on “Neglected Responsibilities: The U.S. Response to the Iraqi Refugee Crisis,” Congressman William Delahunt (D-MA) says that we cannot allow a breeding ground for terrorism to fester in the Middle East, and he says he suggests the vast numbers of refugees will produce terrorist of the future unless they are treated with respect and dignity. (:27)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download