Dempsey, Saudi Partners Discuss Iraq, Regional Challenges

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia  – Hours after the last U.S. Forces Iraq convoy crossed the border into Kuwait on its way home, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sat down for the first time with Saudi officials here to discuss Iraq and other developments in the region.

Traveling with a multicountry USO holiday tour to Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and other nations, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey took time today to meet with leaders of one of the United States’ long-time partners in the Middle East.

“I’ve been very clear with all of our partners -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and others -- [that] if you’re concerned about the future of Iraq, then we should all work together to help ensure that we achieve a brighter future for Iraq,” Dempsey told reporters who are traveling with him.

“[If Iraq is] left unattended or left to its own devices,” he said, then countries that could have helped the newly sovereign nation “shouldn’t come back and complain about the outcome.”

Today Dempsey met with officials from the Saudi Ministry of Defense and the Saudi Arabia National Guard.

The chairman, who from 2001 to 2003 served in the kingdom to train and advise the Saudi Arabian National Guard, said he and the Saudi officials spent time renewing their acquaintance.

But they also discussed Iraq, Iran’s potential influence on Iraq, the Arab-Israeli conflict, he added, and the growing Saudi investment in the U.S. foreign military sales program.

“On the specific issue of Iraq, I’d say [Saudi officials] are probably concerned about the Iranian influence and are eager to know what we intend to do to make sure that influence doesn’t permeate Iraq,” Dempsey said.

“They asked me what I thought it meant [that the U.S. military is out of Iraq] and they offered to tell me what they thought it meant,” he said, adding, “I wouldn’t describe our discussions at this point as suggesting to each other what we might do.”

The Arab-Israeli conflict was also on the agenda, the chairman said, a routine topic in meetings with Saudi leaders.

“Generally speaking we begin our meetings with a reflection on the fact that from their perspective the key to a lasting settlement in the region is the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Dempsey said.

The Saudis made no judgments about how the United States is managing the conflict, “but I would describe on the part of both the leaders in the Saudi Arabia National Guard and the Ministry of Defense … a heightened sense of concern on the basis of what they consider to be two facts,” Dempsey said.

First, he added, “they are very concerned that our withdrawal from Iraq opens the door for greater Iranian influence, [and] they consider that Iranian influence in Bahrain has a very real chance of destabilizing the region.”

A positive signal from the Saudis is a rapidly growing investment in the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, he said, with the Saudi Arabia National Guard investment growing four-fold and the Ministry of Defense investment nearly doubling.

And the Saudis have established a new facilities-protection program through the program for critical industries such as oil refineries and water and power plants, Dempsey added.

With the Saudis, he said, “We used to talk about stuff -- material procurements, bright shiny objects. It wasn’t that kind of conversation at all today. It was actually quite substantive; about training and of course geopolitical issues.”

Dempsey added, “I think they feel like they’re in a very good place and … a strong place in terms of capabilities.

“I think they’re genuinely interested now in how they can get better at utilizing [equipment they’ve purchased from the United States], the chairman said, “and I find that to be quite encouraging.”

Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation New Dawn.

Sgt. 1st Class David G. Robinson, 28, of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., died Oct. 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  He was assigned to the U.S. Army Support Activity, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

For more information the media may contact Maj. Charlie Barrett at Third Army/U.S. Army Central public affairs at 803-885-8875 or charlie.barrett@arcent.army.mil .

Gates Calls for Mideast Reform, Recaps Message to NATO

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT, March 12, 2011 – En route to Washington after leaving Bahrain today, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said while Bahrain’s rulers are serious about coming to terms with the opposition, governments across the region must understand that reforms must come, and quickly.

“In this instance, time is not our friend. Under the circumstances and with the … political and economic grievances across the region, baby steps [are] not sufficient,” he said. “Real reform [is] necessary.”

Flying stateside after a weeklong series of visits to Afghanistan, Germany, Belgium and Bahrain, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates offered reporters traveling with him his perspective on a week that also witnessed horrific damage to Japan following an earthquake and tsunami.

The secretary said he had good conversations while in Bahrain with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. Gates said he is confident they are ready to engage in meaningful discussions with the opposition and establish necessary reforms.

“I am convinced they both are serious about real reform,” the secretary said. “I think that the concern now is that it’s important that they have somebody to talk to, and that the opposition be willing to sit down with the government and carry this process forward.”

Given Bahraini rulers’ willingness to engage with the opposition, Gates said, he believes they can serve as a model for the entire region. The challenge for Middle East and North African governments faced with civil unrest in recent months, he said, is to maintain stability and continuity while instituting positive reforms.

Gates said he told Bahrain’s king and crown prince that citizens’ desire for governmental change and reform across the region was real and irreversible.  “That across the region, I did not believe there could be a return to the status quo ante. That there was change; and it could be led, or it could be imposed,” Gates said he told the Bahraini leaders.

Governments leading reform and being responsive, Gates said, is what the United States would like to see in the region.

Gates said the meetings in Bahrain included much talk of Iran.

“We [have] no evidence that Iran started any of these popular revolutions, or demonstrations,” the secretary said. What is clear, he added, is that Iran will exploit any opportunities popular unrest offers.

In a media session following his meetings with Gates, the crown prince was vocal about the need for opposing parties to seek common ground.

“There is … [a] point of view in the country that a significant portion of the electoral base feels that their voice is unheard, and they want the respect due to them,” the crown prince said.

“At the end of the day,” he added, “we are all going to have to live in the same country together and talk to one another.”

Gates said he sees no threat to the security of the Navy’s 5th Fleet based in Manama, Bahrain, or to other U.S. assets, but noted the U.S. has the capacity to respond as needed to events in the region.

“One of the issues under discussion with respect to Libya, obviously, is a no-fly zone,” he said.

While that would involve considerable resources, the secretary said, “If we are directed to impose a no-fly zone, we have the resources to do it.”

The question is not whether the United States and its allies have the ability to establish a no-fly zone in Libya, Gates said.

”The question is whether it’s a wise thing to do,” the secretary said. “That’s the discussion that’s going on at a political level.”

Turning to the recent earthquake and tsunami natural disasters in Japan, the secretary said the United States has ships and helicopters in and converging on the area to offer any rescue, humanitarian or disaster relief assistance Japan requests.

“We’re working very closely with the government of Japan and with our embassy, and we’ll be responsive,” Gates said.

Asked about remarks he made yesterday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, urging International Security Assistance Force contributing nations to maintain their commitment to the mission in Afghanistan, Gates said he had tried to send a clear message.

The secretary said his comments were intended to prevent “a stampede for the exits, using whatever drawdowns we begin with in July as a pretext.”

Gates said his message to NATO was cautionary.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” he said. “We’ve still got to [get to] 2014, and we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Mullen Continues Middle East Trip in Qatar

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 21, 2011 – The top U.S. military officer arrived here in the Qatari capital today, continuing his weeklong trip through the Middle East after concluding what he called frank, reassuring talks with leaders in Saudi Arabia about widespread regional unrest.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters concern about violence surrounding many of the pro-democratic movements that have rippled through the region – and how Iran might exert its power in the process – dominated his talks today with Saudi political and military leaders.

The chairman emphasized that he does not believe Iran played a role in toppling the regimes of Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak or in stirring up other protest movements. “These are, by and large, internal issues, as opposed to issues fomented by some external force,” he said.

But nonetheless, Mullen said, the United States and its allies in the region are wary that Iran might use the upheaval as a chance to exert influence. He called Iran “a country that continues to foment instability in the region and take advantage of every opportunity.”

“There are always concerns in this region with Iran. Certainly the United States has them, as well as all the regional players,” he told reporters after concluding today’s meetings in Riyadh. “Certainly that was part of the discussion today with the Saudis.”

In the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the chairman met with Prince Mohammed bin Niyif, assistant interior minister for security affairs; Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, commander of Saudi Arabia’s national guard; Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, assistant defense and aviation minister for military affairs; and Lt. Gen. Qubail, deputy chief of the general staff. He also met with U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith and his staff.

Mullen said his talks focused largely on the tumult in Bahrain, where a violent weekend left many anti-government protestors dead. “Obviously the Saudis, in particular -- but everybody in the region -- is watching what’s happening in Bahrain very closely,” he said.

The Saudi government, concerned that whatever happens there could spill over to Saudi Arabia’s eastern province, has expressed support for Bahrain’s ruling Khalifa family and sent a warning to Iran.

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with all its capabilities behind the state and the brotherly people of Bahrain,” the government-run Saudi Press Agency announced in a statement. Saudi Arabia expressed “absolute rejection” of foreign tampering in Bahrain’s affairs.

Mullen credited Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa’s decision not to use force against the protestors and to begin a national dialogue to address their issues with bringing about an apparent reduction in violence iover the last 36 hours in Bahrain. “He has taken some significant, positive steps from a leadership standpoint … to resolve the grievances and the concerns,” the chairman said.

The chairman arrived here today for the second leg of a trip that also includes stops in United Arab Emirates, Djibouti and Kuwait, and possibly Bahrain.

Tonight in Doha, Mullen will be the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by Maj. Gen. Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, the Qatari armed forces’ chief of staff. He has meetings slated tomorrow with Sheikh bin Hamad al Thani, ruling emir of Qatar since 1995.

From there, Mullen is slated to travel to United Arab Emirates, where he will meet with leaders and attend the International Defense Exposition and Conference in Abu Dhabi. Later this week, he will visit Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, then will conclude his trip in Kuwait with ceremonies marking the 20th anniversary of its liberation during Operation Desert Storm.

Although the visit had been long-scheduled, Mullen told reporters traveling with him, its context changed dramatically in light current events. He dismissed the notion that his trip shows the United States is taking sides in regional conflicts, emphasizing the importance of peaceful resolution to the current situation in the strategically important Gulf region.

“We have a longstanding relationship with the leaders in these countries,” he said, noting his own close ties with their military leaders. “That doesn’t mean we don’t all share concern about what has happened and look to the future,” he said. “It is really important that we reaffirm the relationship” and evaluate “what has occurred and how we are going to look to the future together.”

The chairman said he would press throughout his trip for all sides in these situations to show restraint as they work through their differences.

“We certainly would like to see whatever happens happen in a nonviolent way -- that where there are differences, they be resolved nonviolently, and that governments and their people figure this out,” he said.

Meanwhile, in response to a reporter’s question, Mullen expressed no particular concern about Egypt’s decision to allow Iranian warships to pass through the Suez Canal. Noting that he has transited the canal himself more than once, the chairman said it’s an issue for Egypt, which controls the canal, to address.

“It is really for the government of Egypt and the government of Iran to work that out,” he said.

Mullen Launches Middle East Trip in Saudi Arabia

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 20, 2011 – Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived here today for the first leg of a sweep through the Middle East to reassure friends of the U.S. commitment to regional stability, acknowledging he’s been “stunned” by the pace of the upheaval here.

“The speed with which this has happened has really taken me aback,” Mullen said of unrest that has moved through the region, domino-like, in recent weeks. “And I think this speed is going to continue.”

Mullen left Washington yesterday to confer with international and U.S. officials during stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Djibouti and Kuwait. Although the trip has been in the planning stages for some time, he said, its nature has changed dramatically based on the current tumult.

Talks are expected to address uprisings that have toppled the presidents of both Tunisia and Egypt and continue to ripple through the region. As during his trip last week to Israel and Jordan, Mullen said, he plans to “reassure our friends and just listen to what’s on their minds” about the situation and to get their views firsthand, particularly concerning Egypt.

Mullen said he comes to the region bringing no message to any particular group, but rather to reiterate the U.S. interest in seeing differences resolved peacefully. “We would certainly like to see what happens happen in a nonviolent way,” he told reporters traveling with him.

Emphasizing the importance of the Gulf region, the chairman said its stability is in everyone’s best interest.

Mullen has office calls scheduled here with Prince Mohammed bin Niyif, Saudi Arabia’s assistant interior minister for security affairs; Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, commander of the Saudi Arabian national guard; Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, assistant defense and aviation minister for military affairs; and Lt. Gen. Qubail, deputy chief of the general staff.

He also will meet with U.S. Ambassador James Smith.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have had strong military-to-military relations since World War II. U.S. advisors continue to help in training the Saudi military and national guard. The U.S. military training mission to Saudi Arabia and a U.S. program managers’ office for the Saudi Arabian national guard work to help in increasing Saudi military capabilities.

Saudi Arabia is one of the largest customers for U.S. defense goods.

The trip is expected to wrap up next weekend in Kuwait City, where a month-long commemoration is observing the 50th anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation and the 20th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. Coalition forces liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation forces on Feb. 26, 1991, at the end of Operation Desert Storm. Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait Aug. 2, 1990.

The chairman’s last extended visit to the region was in February 2010, when he made stops in Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.