By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 14, 2008 - Even with the positive trend lines in Iraq, leaders will not rush the assessment process for determining U.S. force levels in the country, Pentagon officials said today. The assessment process is as transparent as the department can make it, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. While pundits have called for greater redeployments from Iraq, the department will wait and see what commanders recommend.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates finds his most valuable advice comes from commanders on the ground, and he will continue to rely on them, Whitman said.
"We are reaching that period of time when the post-surge assessment will be done," he said.
The last surge brigade combat team will leave Iraq by the end of this month. Commanders from all levels will give their recommendations on how things are going in their various parts of Iraq. Once the surge brigade leaves, commanders could decide on consolidation or repositioning of forces.
"Commanders are out there doing the work every day and have their eyes on the security situation," Whitman said. "They are the ones who should be making the judgment on what the way forward should be, and they will be making their recommendations through the chain of command."
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq; Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, acting commander of U.S. Central Command; and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "will all be in a position to make recommendations to the secretary about the way forward," Whitman said.
The secretary will discuss their recommendations with President Bush, who will determine the appropriate way forward, the spokesman said. "I have to emphasize that there have been no decisions made yet, and we are just entering this period of assessment," Whitman said.
No one in the Pentagon is leaning forward trying to hurry the process, Whitman said. "I don't see people in this building trying to prejudge what the commanders might think is the best way forward," he said.
There is no doubt the security situation in Iraq has improved over the last several months, Whitman said. The surge provided the manpower needed to hold areas cleared of terrorists, and the additional brigades also allowed Iraqi security forces the time to train.
"All the trend lines tend to be very positive, which would indicate that there is potential for further drawdowns in Iraq," he said. "But there have been no decisions made with respect to the force posture beyond completion of the withdrawal of the surge brigades."
Showing posts with label assessment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label assessment. Show all posts
Monday, July 14, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Mullen Calls for Continuous Assessments in Iraq
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
April 1, 2008 - After the last of the "surge brigades" redeploy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would like to continually assess conditions on the ground in Iraq. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters today that recent increased fighting in Basra and Baghdad has not changed recommendations to continue with the current plan.
The plan calls for 15 U.S. brigade combat teams to be left in Iraq at the end of July. At the height of the surge there were 20. "We've all talked about a period of consolidation and assessment, and I think there's wisdom in that in we've made a fairly dramatic shift in our overall force structure there, and we need to see -- based on what happens after that -- how we move ahead," Mullen said. "I would like to continuously assess the conditions on the ground as far as how we would look at future force employment."
He noted that defense leaders spend a large amount of their time assessing the situation. "It's this continuous assessment that I think will drive us to the next decision point," he said. "I can't tell you whether it's going to be two weeks after the fifth brigade comes out or whether it is six weeks or eight weeks. I honestly don't know."
That, in a nutshell, is what conditions-based assessments are about: trends in security and whether conditions are holding or changing, he said.
Assessments in Washington, at U.S. Central Command and in Baghdad are constant and event-driven, he said. "Part of the major reasons for the surge was to create a security environment in which the economy could thrive, governance could start to set up and, probably most importantly, political reconciliation could take place," he said. "All those factors are still there. The surge has provided markedly increased level of security, and my expectations are that those other elements need to continue to progress."
Mullen said the discussions the Joint Chiefs of Staff held with President Bush at the Pentagon last week were wide-ranging and far-reaching.
"When the Basra violence came up in the past week, I was asked on a couple of occasions if this will impact future decisions," he said. "First of all, it's too soon to tell, but certainly, a sustained violence level has great focus from a strategic point of view."
The chairman also spoke about his concerns about operations in Afghanistan. "We have been short of forces in Afghanistan," he said. "I've called it an 'economy of force' campaign."
President Bush is attending the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, this week, and Afghanistan will be a large part of the discussion. Mullen said that more forces are needed in Afghanistan, even after the United States deployed 3,200 Marines to the country.
But the real need is not combat forces, Mullen said. "The Joint Chiefs are focused on generating trainers so we can train the Afghan police and the security forces in a way that they can take control and take charge of their own security," he said.
American Forces Press Service
April 1, 2008 - After the last of the "surge brigades" redeploy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would like to continually assess conditions on the ground in Iraq. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters today that recent increased fighting in Basra and Baghdad has not changed recommendations to continue with the current plan.
The plan calls for 15 U.S. brigade combat teams to be left in Iraq at the end of July. At the height of the surge there were 20. "We've all talked about a period of consolidation and assessment, and I think there's wisdom in that in we've made a fairly dramatic shift in our overall force structure there, and we need to see -- based on what happens after that -- how we move ahead," Mullen said. "I would like to continuously assess the conditions on the ground as far as how we would look at future force employment."
He noted that defense leaders spend a large amount of their time assessing the situation. "It's this continuous assessment that I think will drive us to the next decision point," he said. "I can't tell you whether it's going to be two weeks after the fifth brigade comes out or whether it is six weeks or eight weeks. I honestly don't know."
That, in a nutshell, is what conditions-based assessments are about: trends in security and whether conditions are holding or changing, he said.
Assessments in Washington, at U.S. Central Command and in Baghdad are constant and event-driven, he said. "Part of the major reasons for the surge was to create a security environment in which the economy could thrive, governance could start to set up and, probably most importantly, political reconciliation could take place," he said. "All those factors are still there. The surge has provided markedly increased level of security, and my expectations are that those other elements need to continue to progress."
Mullen said the discussions the Joint Chiefs of Staff held with President Bush at the Pentagon last week were wide-ranging and far-reaching.
"When the Basra violence came up in the past week, I was asked on a couple of occasions if this will impact future decisions," he said. "First of all, it's too soon to tell, but certainly, a sustained violence level has great focus from a strategic point of view."
The chairman also spoke about his concerns about operations in Afghanistan. "We have been short of forces in Afghanistan," he said. "I've called it an 'economy of force' campaign."
President Bush is attending the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, this week, and Afghanistan will be a large part of the discussion. Mullen said that more forces are needed in Afghanistan, even after the United States deployed 3,200 Marines to the country.
But the real need is not combat forces, Mullen said. "The Joint Chiefs are focused on generating trainers so we can train the Afghan police and the security forces in a way that they can take control and take charge of their own security," he said.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Combined Forces Working Together to Improve Iraqi Region
By Seaman William Selby, USN
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2008 - Coalition forces, Iraqi troops, and "Sons of Iraq" security volunteers are working together to rebuild areas south of Arab Jabour, Iraq, a senior military official in Baghdad said this morning. Coalition forces recently completed Operation Marne Thunderbolt, which focused on the disruption of al Qaeda activities in Iraq, Army Colonel Terry R. Ferrell, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, in Multinational Division Center, said in a conference call with online journalists and "bloggers."
"We've focused on moving to places we haven't been before," said Ferrell, who has been in the Arab Jabour region since June.
Iraqi security forces and the Sons of Iraq helped the coalition move further south, he added. "They lead the operations in Marne Thunderbolt," he said. "Their performance is outstanding."
Iraqi security forces and the Sons of Iraq have worked together to clear terrain of improvised explosive devices and weapons caches while providing the coalition with intelligence. "Since June, they have found 267 IEDs and 85 weapons caches just in the Arab Jabour region," Ferrell said. "One battalion found 167 IEDs alone."
Overall, Ferrell said, he's seen improvement and growth from the citizens throughout the operation.
"A lot of business that were closed down are now open," he said. "New businesses are growing, and farmers are getting back into the fields."
Ferrell said he believes the business growth is a result of security improvements brought about by the Sons of Iraq and Iraqi forces.
Now, coalition forces are focusing on getting local governments to connect with the national government, which Ferrell said is beginning to happen.
"Numerous government representatives are helping with the small communities," Ferrell said. "As the area has become more secure as a result of our efforts, the Sons of Iraq and the security forces combined, that is the reason this is now starting to transition.
"Where we are today, people are making great strides," Ferrell said. "We are continuing to make assessment, but there is still a lot of work to be done."
Special to American Forces Press Service
Feb. 14, 2008 - Coalition forces, Iraqi troops, and "Sons of Iraq" security volunteers are working together to rebuild areas south of Arab Jabour, Iraq, a senior military official in Baghdad said this morning. Coalition forces recently completed Operation Marne Thunderbolt, which focused on the disruption of al Qaeda activities in Iraq, Army Colonel Terry R. Ferrell, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, in Multinational Division Center, said in a conference call with online journalists and "bloggers."
"We've focused on moving to places we haven't been before," said Ferrell, who has been in the Arab Jabour region since June.
Iraqi security forces and the Sons of Iraq helped the coalition move further south, he added. "They lead the operations in Marne Thunderbolt," he said. "Their performance is outstanding."
Iraqi security forces and the Sons of Iraq have worked together to clear terrain of improvised explosive devices and weapons caches while providing the coalition with intelligence. "Since June, they have found 267 IEDs and 85 weapons caches just in the Arab Jabour region," Ferrell said. "One battalion found 167 IEDs alone."
Overall, Ferrell said, he's seen improvement and growth from the citizens throughout the operation.
"A lot of business that were closed down are now open," he said. "New businesses are growing, and farmers are getting back into the fields."
Ferrell said he believes the business growth is a result of security improvements brought about by the Sons of Iraq and Iraqi forces.
Now, coalition forces are focusing on getting local governments to connect with the national government, which Ferrell said is beginning to happen.
"Numerous government representatives are helping with the small communities," Ferrell said. "As the area has become more secure as a result of our efforts, the Sons of Iraq and the security forces combined, that is the reason this is now starting to transition.
"Where we are today, people are making great strides," Ferrell said. "We are continuing to make assessment, but there is still a lot of work to be done."
Monday, July 30, 2007
Petraeus Working to Keep Iraq Assessment Apolitical
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2007 - The top U.S. commander in Iraq today acknowledged high expectations for a September assessment of the situation in Iraq and said he would work to keep politics out of the process. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, spoke to Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America" program from his headquarters in Baghdad. He said that every time he gets a question about the assessment, "I feel another rock going into the rucksack, which is reasonably heavy at this point."
Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker will offer a comprehensive assessment of the status of Iraq during testimony before Congress in September. The general said it will be the ground truth. "We will be trying, frankly, to stay apolitical in this whole endeavor," he said.
By then, Petraeus and other military commanders may have offered recommendations through the chain of command to the president. "We will also offer our views of various implications of ways ahead that may be under discussion," he said.
Sustainable security in Iraq is the goal of the military effort in Iraq, Petraeus said. He said it will take until summer 2009 to establish the conditions for that concept to flourish.
This does not mean the number of U.S. troops will remain the same, he said. Petraeus is on record as saying that he will not ask for extensions for troops beyond current 15-month deployments. He and other senior leaders will work together to decide when they can reduce the number of American troops in Iraq "without surrendering the gains we have made," he said.
He said he and Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, will work together to "determine at what point we can send forces home without replacements and also begin to transition tasks over time so we are doing more partnering and less leading."
Petraeus also said there will be a gradual drawdown of British forces in Iraq, contrary to reports that British forces will leave early. British forces are in command of Multinational Division Southeast and already have handed to provincial Iraqi control the provinces of Muthanna, Dhi Qar and Najaf. British forces are turning over more and more territory in Basra, the largest province in southeastern Iraq, to Iraqi control. "The plan over time is to draw down," Petraeus said.
In addition, the general addressed reported tension between him and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He said stories about friction between Maliki and him are the product of "some political factions here who would like to throw sand in the gears of the relationship."
Petraeus said he meets with the prime minister several times a week, and he speaks with Maliki several times a day. "We have a relationship that includes good, frank and open discussions, and we don't always agree on everything," Petraeus said. "But we have the strength of a relationship that allows us to discuss those issues and to come to resolution on them. At times, politics trumps the military, and we accept that."
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2007 - The top U.S. commander in Iraq today acknowledged high expectations for a September assessment of the situation in Iraq and said he would work to keep politics out of the process. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, spoke to Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America" program from his headquarters in Baghdad. He said that every time he gets a question about the assessment, "I feel another rock going into the rucksack, which is reasonably heavy at this point."
Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker will offer a comprehensive assessment of the status of Iraq during testimony before Congress in September. The general said it will be the ground truth. "We will be trying, frankly, to stay apolitical in this whole endeavor," he said.
By then, Petraeus and other military commanders may have offered recommendations through the chain of command to the president. "We will also offer our views of various implications of ways ahead that may be under discussion," he said.
Sustainable security in Iraq is the goal of the military effort in Iraq, Petraeus said. He said it will take until summer 2009 to establish the conditions for that concept to flourish.
This does not mean the number of U.S. troops will remain the same, he said. Petraeus is on record as saying that he will not ask for extensions for troops beyond current 15-month deployments. He and other senior leaders will work together to decide when they can reduce the number of American troops in Iraq "without surrendering the gains we have made," he said.
He said he and Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, will work together to "determine at what point we can send forces home without replacements and also begin to transition tasks over time so we are doing more partnering and less leading."
Petraeus also said there will be a gradual drawdown of British forces in Iraq, contrary to reports that British forces will leave early. British forces are in command of Multinational Division Southeast and already have handed to provincial Iraqi control the provinces of Muthanna, Dhi Qar and Najaf. British forces are turning over more and more territory in Basra, the largest province in southeastern Iraq, to Iraqi control. "The plan over time is to draw down," Petraeus said.
In addition, the general addressed reported tension between him and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He said stories about friction between Maliki and him are the product of "some political factions here who would like to throw sand in the gears of the relationship."
Petraeus said he meets with the prime minister several times a week, and he speaks with Maliki several times a day. "We have a relationship that includes good, frank and open discussions, and we don't always agree on everything," Petraeus said. "But we have the strength of a relationship that allows us to discuss those issues and to come to resolution on them. At times, politics trumps the military, and we accept that."
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