Press Briefing, Nov. 20, 2006
Multi-National Force-Iraq
Sunday, 19 November 2006
Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV
Spokesman, Multi-National Force - Iraq
BRIEFING BY MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR STRATEGIC EFFECTS, MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ TOPIC: SITUATIONAL UPDATE LOCATION: THE COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, IRAQ TIME: 7:00 A.M. EST DATE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2006
GEN. CALDWELL: Today we will cover the ongoing transition towards Iraqi responsibility for stabilization, reconciliation, unity and security.
But first I'd like to give an update on our missing soldier. Coalition and Iraqi security forces remain committed to finding Specialist Ahmed Qusai al-Taei, the American soldier of Iraqi descent who was kidnapped on October 23rd while visiting his family in Baghdad. Our operations are unceasing. More than 30,000 -- correction -- 3,000 coalition-Iraqi security forces continue focused intelligence-driven raids, searches, patrols and checkpoints.
We continue to meet with Iraqis who have relevant information. To date, citizens have -- concerned about kidnappings have provided more than 372 tips, which have led to 53 focused missions and the detention of 41 persons of interest. As I've noted before, these operations resulted in one American soldier killed, six wounded and two Iraqi security forces wounded.
To continue the stream of useful tips, the U.S. government is offering a reward of $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of Specialist al-Taei. Iraqi citizens with information on him should call us at our Iraq number -- and you'll see that posted up here on the chart -- of 790-165-5361. Again, that's a special line that has been set up by us in order to receive tips associated with any information you may have on him.
We have also provided now an e-mail address, which we have again posted on this chart, shown right here. And again, that's for any citizens who may be concerned about their privacy and security and would rather pass the information via the Internet.
We will never stop looking for our service members. Everyone must know that we will continue our intensive efforts to locate Specialist al-Taei.
Additionally, we are also working closely with the U.S. Mission Iraq to recover our four American citizens and the Austrian who were kidnapped earlier this week north of Basra.
As Iraqis transition to greater security responsibilities, we remain committed to helping Iraqis both with the sectarian violence and the terror. We continue to work closely with the Iraqi security forces to achieve both stabilization and security.
As expected, violence decreased following the end of Ramadan. Over the past four weeks, civilian and security force casualties were at the lowest levels since the government was formed in May.
The daily casualty count averaged significantly below the average that was in October and well below the six-month average. The security force casualties alone decreased by 21 percent over the past four weeks, and were the lowest level in almost 25 weeks. In Baghdad, there was a 22 percent drop in casualties related to sectarian violence and executions.
However, those who seek to derail the political process in Iraq remain active. The more the government of Iraq asserts its authority as the legitimate representative of the Iraqi people, the greater the threat from foreign and extremist elements who seek to undermine both stability and reconciliation.
Last week, we did see a spike in coalition and civilian casualties. Murders remain the gravest threat to civilians, and we continue to closely monitor attempts to divide Iraqis through tactics such as indirect fires at mosque and densely populated areas in Baghdad.
Slide and chart, please.
As part of Operation Together Forward, the Iraqi security forces and coalition forces in support continue to protect and build in the focus areas of the beladiyas indicated on this map and the areas in green. And again, we've talked to this before, but these are the key focus areas that in which coalition forces are working in support with the Iraqi security forces in both now the protect and the build phase of the operation.
Additionally, ongoing patrolling continues in three of the beladiyas, reflected here in the yellow striped areas in the beladiyas of Baya, Karkh and Rusafa.
These security and stabilization operations continue to produce results. As of November 18th, more than 95,000 buildings have been cleared, 282 persons have been detained, over 1,900 weapons have been seized and over another 780 have been properly registered. Our security operations move forward in conjunction with our efforts on reconstruction.
Stability means more than just freedom from fear. It means being able to count on essential services. Consequently, more than $7 1/2 million has recently been committed to these projects as part of an essential part of phase 2 of Operation Together Forward. Every day we see courageous Iraqi public servants out there working hard on projects from power generation to water treatment, trash collection and sewage disposal. Over the past 11 months, the Iraqi security forces, local civic leaders, some elements of the 4th Infantry Division which have just recently departed worked to hard to achieve progress in their reconstruction efforts. During that 11 months, they saw 146 water and sewage projects come on line, 140 educational projects, 57 medical and public health projects and 37 agricultural projects.
Let me give you some details on these vital works that they accomplished working together, both the Iraqi security forces with the local officials and the coalition forces in support.
The water and sewage projects undertaken through this partnership include the completion of 19 water treatment plants, six compact water purification and delivery systems, 13 sewage pumping stations and the replacement of over 25 kilometers of pipe.
The 140 education projects included the upgrading of 111 school facilities that serve more than 310,000 elementary students, and the renovation of Baghdad schools continue.
The 57 medical and public health projects included the renovation of 21 hospitals and clinics and the building and opening of six new clinics for residents of Baghdad. There is a committed effort to hire local Iraqi firms too and local Iraqi workers so that the building is accomplished by economic growth, pride and ownership and improved construction in operating practices. These projects alone have provided 23,000 jobs at the peak employment period.
We will see more transfers of authority to Iraqi security forces as they become more capable. Two recent developments demonstrate the ongoing sophistication of the Iraqi army.
If you could, next slide, please.
On November 13th in a joint operation with coalition forces, the Iraqi army seized five major weapon caches near Balad Ruz and Diyala province, specifically in the town of Turki (ph) just to the east of Balad Ruz, in this area right here. On the 13th of November, some caches were discovered, an operation was planned, and forces were committed the next day -- Iraqi security forces with coalition forces -- and over the next two days through a series of operations, the forces went in and locating -- when we show you here -- major caches in that area of weapons that were being stored there. The result in effectiveness was somewhere between 25 and 40 anti-coalition forces were killed, another 23 were detained.
Of key note was as the forces were conducting these operations, it was clearly a very sophisticated anti-Iraqi force that they are coming up against. When they are maneuvering in from the northern area, they had multiple IEDs that had been in placed all along the route that would bring them down to the area where the caches are. You can see shown here in the red are the IEDs that did in fact go off, and the blues were the ones that were identified and disarmed. There were small arms fires and engagements that occurred in those locations there, and again this operation continued over a three-day period, the result as we stated there.
Next slide, please.
The size of these caches is impressive -- containing hundreds of explosive rounds capable of being used for car bombs and nearly 300,000 rounds of small arms munition, including sniper and armor- piercing rounds. This is potentially hundreds of car bombs that will never be built or detonated in Iraqi markets. This is 12,000 sniper rounds that will not be aimed at security forces in this country. Fortunately, we will never know the number of attacks and Iraqi civilian deaths that were prevented by the discovery of these five caches.
But what's critical to understand is that it was significant, and you can see alone here the vast amounts of raids of additional cases of munitions that have not even yet been fully exploited in seeing what's inside of them. There were anti-tank weapons and anti-tank ground- launched weapons systems.
Additionally this week, we had the first of 20 Iraqi army officers graduate from the Multinational Force Civil Affairs/Civil Military Operations Course. This course was designed to enhance the Iraqi army's ability to engage with the civilian population and therefore prosecute the counterinsurgency fight more effectively.
Iraq must have a security force not only capable of providing security but also one that enjoys the confidence of its people. The Iraqi security force must be able to enforce the rule of law in an unbiased manner and be free from interference of illegal armed groups and sectarian militias.
Public confidence in the Iraqi police is slowly rising but will require continued reform by the Ministry of Interior. A great example of that is the Maliki government's effort to reform the Iraqi police through the transformational training that's occurring with each of the eight national police brigades. This past Saturday the 8th Brigade of the 2nd National Police Division entered its transformational training process, where they will learn how to be more effective leaders and improve their civil policing and collective operational capabilities.
Slide and chart, please.
To truly provide the security and stabilization required for its transition to unity and prosperity, we have to continue to make progress against the forces who are trying to divide this nation through sectarian violence. The majority of this violence occurs in tightly controlled area right here around Baghdad, in fact within about a 30-mile radius around Baghdad. Iraqi security forces and coalition forces continue to pursue illegal armed groups in these areas.
If you look here over the last three weeks, there are a total of 58 missions that were conducted against death squads or extrajudicial killing elements that exist. Specifically, 36 of those 58 were within the Baghdad city proper itself, and the majority within the Baghdad province area right around the city. A hundred and eighty-four alleged cell members were picked up during these operations and eight cell leaders were also picked up. Each of these indicate a location where an operation occurred as part of that ongoing effort to eliminate the death squads in the area around Baghdad area.
While death squads are a serious threat to Iraq unity and stability, they're not the only threat. Al Qaeda in Iraq seeks to divide Iraqis by sowing distrust and fear through targeted attacks against the innocent Iraqi population and fomenting sectarian violence in the hopes of discrediting this government being made.
Together with the government of Iraq, we are waging a dedicated and relentless campaign against this threat. Over the last two weeks, the Iraqi security forces and coalition partners conducted 92 focused operations targeting the al Qaeda in Iraq network. These operations resulted in 48 terrorists being killed and the detention of 286 suspected terrorists. Among the terrorists were some that were closely connected to the leadership here of al Qaeda in Iraq.
We know that through stabilization, reconciliation and transition, we'll move Iraq towards complete control over their future. We have a shared goal here. We all want to see a unified, secure and prosperous Iraq, but it will take time.
The people in Iraq are showing tremendous perseverance in fighting these foreign influences that seek to destroy their goal of a unified Iraq. Last week, I was in Fallujah and had the opportunity there to see some different examples of this.
Fallujah just was under assault from foreign fighters and terrorists two years ago this very month. It was a city without security, stability or even any hope. The situation was so bad that we mounted a massive rescue effort for the people of that city. In October of 2004, coalition forces launched Operation Al-Fajr, named after the Iraqi word for "dawn." Led by American Marines, coalition forces took on an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 terrorists who had driven out the legitimate residents of their neighborhoods. The population of Fallujah had largely fled the city, reducing the number of residents to somewhere in the figure of 50,000 to 60,000.
Last week, I saw a city of about 300,000 people, who have made incredible progress over these past two years. I witnessed a city council meeting, where a democratically elected mayor and city council led the deliberations and talked about the people's business. I saw Iraqis policing their own neighborhoods, enforcing their own laws and transitioning to responsibility for their own security and growth. I saw an Iraqi army that cooperates with an Iraqi police force, a situation few would have believed achievable in Fallujah just one short year ago. I even saw a processing center where Fallujah welcomes persons displaced by instability elsewhere in Iraq.
In the aftermath of Operation Al-Fajr, as late as September of 2005, there were still 3,000 United States Marines and only 300 Iraqi security forces in Fallujah. Today the people of the city are protected by 1,500 members of their own Iraqi security forces, and there are approximately only 300 U.S. Marines.
This transition has not been easy. Terrorists and insurgents are waging a brutal campaign of both murder and intimidation against the cities, government and their police force. Terrorists seek every day to divide them along sectarian lines and to wreck the progress which they have brought themselves. But through the determination of the people, this transition makes steady gains each day. Fallujah is an example of what can be achieved when courageous leaders, brave security forces and hard-working citizens unite for a common goal, that being a unified and secure Iraq. The progress in Fallujah demonstrates that with time and with effort, recovery is possible in Iraq in the wake of this brutal violence. This kind of courage and the ensuing political and economic progress can be seen in various other parts of Iraq, too. The fight to help Iraqis build a free and prosperous nation is a marathon; it is not a sprint. Each week, we see signs of hope and inspiration amidst the continuing violence in Iraq.
Coalition forces and the 140,000 young American men and women who are siding every day with the overwhelming majority of Iraqis, who seek to build a better future for their families and for their country against those who would seek to impose the will upon the Iraqi people is something magnificent to watch.
I thank you for your time, and I'll be glad to take whatever questions you may have.
Yes, sir.
Q Thank you, General. Before two weeks -- (name and affiliation inaudible) -- news agency and -- (inaudible) -- newspaper. Two weeks before, you speaking about some negotiation, indirect negotiation between you and the kidnapper for the American soldiers -- the American soldier. And since that time, there's no information about this kind of negotiation, but there is some information about they want money, about a quarter million dollars to release him. Is that true? And is that true that one from Chalabi's assistance is -- (inaudible) -- between you and the kidnapper?
GEN. CALDWELL: We, of course, have had no direct contact with any terrorist element that has taken our American soldier. I have read the same reports you have that there are continuing ongoing negotiations between the family members and some groups of people. I've heard the same amounts of money discussed too, but that's not been as part of the coalition force that's been -- discussions that have -- which I understand are going on in a private sense between family members or representatives of the family and the supposedly terrorist group that seized our soldier.
What we're doing is we're continuing is we're continuing very focused operations. Like I said, we've conducted 54 of them based on -- there's been tremendous amount -- a large number of tips in that, but of those tips, we took and felt that 24 were justified to conduct a very focused and deliberate operation which we went out and executed. Of those 34 in fact, did produce some kind of usable information or in fact we detained somebody of interest out of those raids, but unfortunately have not yet recovered our American soldier.
We do currently have in custody 41 people. We went ahead and released six of them based on information not being deemed sufficient enough to retain them further. But of the other 35 members that we have, there are some there that we feel are probably directly associated with or may have even participated in the actual kidnapping itself.
Michael.
Q Thanks. Sir, Michael -- (last name inaudible) -- with CNN. I'm just -- in reference, you mentioned the target of the focused operations against al Qaeda in Iraq. I just wanted to ask you a general question about al Qaeda. You've seen in terms of its IA campaign it's declared the Islamic state of Iraq. What do you take to be the meaning or symbolic importance of that, and to what degree do you think it's real or in any way impacts on the al Qaeda organization?
What do you think it means that they've declared this state, now released their first video under the banner of the Islamic state, appointed a caliph? What do we know about the caliph, Abu Omar al- Baghdadi? It's the new development on their front. What do you make of it all?
GEN. CALDWELL: Michael, what I'd tell you is we really don't. What we find is the exact opposite occurring at this point. If there was ever probably a point, I know for the last seven months that I've been here, but as I look through the historical data even, this is probably the one time we've had the greatest effect against al Qaeda in Iraq that we ever have. There has been -- you know, we have talked before about systematically dismantling that organization and taking it down. If there was ever a time when it's more disorganized, that we have either captured or killed more significant leaders, working very closely with our Iraqi security force partners, it's right now.
And I know the government of Iraq is looking at releasing some information associated with that specifically to put in perspective exactly what has happened to that organization. They have become extremely disorganized. I would question at this point how effective they are at all at the state level. There may be sub-elements lower that are able to operate independently without central direction.
But I -- in talking to my counterpart, Dr. Ali al-Dabbagh, he's looking at some point here in the next week or so, perhaps, of discussing that at further length.
Q So it's a hollow gesture on their part?
GEN. CALDWELL: Yeah, it truly has absolutely no credence at all. If anything -- I mean, I don't want to -- I'd be making a supposition, but if anything, it would look more like a desperate attempt to try to pull something back together which just really doesn't exist right now. It doesn't mean they cannot go out and create a sensational attack, Michael. I don't want to degrade that. You know, anybody can go out and do a sensational attack and create an event. But to do it in a very systematic, deliberate manner, well-organized and orchestrated, I would say that has been severely degraded.
Yes, sir?
Q Hello. (Name inaudible) -- from French Television. I have a question in two parts. You spoke about death squads and you spoke about militias and police. Aren't they sometimes the same? And the second part of my question is, was it a good idea to tolerate the presence of some militias in the police for the last two years?
GEN. CALDWELL: Well, first of all let me tell you, everybody's concerned about the militia issue, and it's being dealt with in a two- pronged approach. There's the one-pronged approach that the prime minister has taken, and that's the political approach to dealing with the militias, and we're supporting him in his endeavor to do that. And then there's going to be those elements that are irreconcilable that aren't going to be able to work through the political process, and those will be dealt with in a kinetic manner with direct action.
But right now, the prime minister is dealing with the militia through a political process -- his government is -- and we're supporting him in that endeavor. However, if there is somebody operating outside of the law, if there is somebody who is conducting illegal activity and we're aware of it, then we will take the action immediately to stop that and to apprehend or detain whoever is associated with that. Nobody will operate outside the law. But militias as an integral organization is something that they're dealing with politically.
But that will not excuse any individual behavior that we see that's operating outside the law.
The minister of Interior, Minister Bolani, has put a very deliberate process in place. You know, he's already identified 3,000 people that they dismissed. He's identified 57 other members of the ministry, through investigations. I mean, they're doing a very systematic method. They're moving forward and addressing some of the people within that ministry that are not swearing allegiance to the government first and instead maybe in fact have allegiance to some other element. And so they are looking at that.
The fact that he pulled the 8th Brigade of the 2nd National Police Division off line and put it through an entire month of a relook, which has -- and I really probably need to let them you the exact numbers, but severely brought the strength of that brigade down, based on the information they found, and now he's bringing that brigade back on line to put it through the transformational training process, which just started this last Saturday for them, is an incredible step forward to show that he is determined not to allow sectarian bias to exist within his police forces.
But it's going to take time. He acknowledges that he -- there's some challenges out there, that -- and it's going to take a while till they rid it of that. But they're taking the steps forward.
Yes, sir?
Q Edward Wong from The New York Times. I wanted to see if the U.S. military had any thoughts about the back-and-forth that went -- that took place between Harith al-Dhari and sheikhs in Anbar who are supposedly fighting al Qaeda, and whether you guys are -- have any intel on these sheikhs and whether you're aiding them, specifically this group that calls itself the Anbar Salvation Council, that announced its formation back in September.
GEN. CALDWELL: Obviously that's a(n) initiative by the prime minister. You know, when he brought all the sheikhs in from out in Al Anbar here about a month and a half ago for that Saturday meeting in Baghdad and spent that time with them and provided a decree to them -- and obviously we're supporting the prime minister in his efforts out there as he works with the sheikhs in the Al Anbar province. We are maintaining close contact with them. We are in dialogue with them at the request of the prime minister, since he's acknowledged and has -- understands what's occurring out there. We're very much aware of the reporting that they're saying in terms of what they're doing against al Qaeda in Iraq out there and the successes that they've had against those elements. They do not want al Qaeda element out there. And then from what I read and understand from them, it's because of what they do to their own Iraqi people. They're not out there for the good of the Iraqi people, according to the sheikhs and the council members.
But we obviously are very much aware of what's going on out there, because they coexist in the same area that we have U.S. -- we have coalition forces operating.
Yes, sir?
Q (Through interpreter.) Mofid Hamid (sp) from Al-Sumariyah TV. Days ago the -- (inaudible) -- raided some targets in Shalah (sp) neighborhood near Qami (sp) neighborhood, and these forces responded to the fire source by the heavy guns, which -- many casualties.
Innocent Iraqis were killed in this operation. And how do you justify that you can seize these fire sources by small arms and not heavy guns?
GEN. CALDWELL: Well, what I can tell you is that any time that we're conducting operations within the city, the Iraqi security forces with coalition forces working closely with them, they will always use what they call -- it's not working?
Q (Through interpreter.) I mean, that only the coalition forces conducted this operation without any help from the Iraqi forces.
GEN. CALDWELL: Okay. The question that I'm being asked, is there -- there was an operation that was conducted by coalition forces, and he was questioning the level of force, firepower that was used during that military operation. And what I will tell you is that when coalition forces are conducting military operations, they use what we call proportional force. And in fact, if they can go in and conduct an operation without ever firing a shot, that's exactly what they will do. There is no intent ever to have to use force unless absolutely necessary.
If in fact there is force used, then the coalition forces will use proportional force to ensure that we do not receive casualties, but always extremely mindful, always looking very carefully at what the impact is on any civilians. That is always taken into consideration. Any kind of fires that are used are very -- precision fires in the city that are done very accurately. They are not indiscriminate whatsoever. And in fact, there have been multiple times when coalition forces -- we very heavily use -- whether or not they'll bring additional firepower to bear in a situation.
So it's proportional force that's used, that's only what's necessary, and we're always extremely mindful of any collateral damage, specifically if we're ever going to in fact inflict or possibly inflict any civilian casualties.
Yes, sir.
Q Thank you, General. There is some big dangers of any trail or any cars across the highway between Iraq and Jordan and the highway between Iraq and Syria. There is specific regions like Tarmia or Volo Aiyah (sp). They are attacking the caravans and the vehicles, and they kidnap the people and kill them, and that's happened daily. And because of this risk, more of the trade caravans has been not across these regions, and all the economy of Iraq has been damaged because of these attacks. You cannot control these regions, the specific region that has been attacked in these caravans. This is one side.
On the other side, there is targeting for the cars, for the buses, for the civilian that's coming from Al-Hurria, crossing Hail Adel (ph), going to Baya. This region is very dangerous, and daily there is kidnapping for tens of the civilians, and there is no -- any operation of this region in Hail Adel (ph). We didn't hear anything about an operation in Hail Adel (ph), in spite of there is tens of bodies has been killed on this region and they threw it in another regions to show you that they'd killed in another region.
But they are kidnapping on this region specifically -- if there is any plans to fix this problem, to find any solution for the highway and for Hail Adel (ph).
GEN. CALDWELL: Well, I'd have to go back and look at a map specifically. What I can tell you is that obviously the security and safety of people moving is always a major concern for the Iraqi security forces who have a lot of the area of responsibility there and for the coalition forces working to support with them.
You know, obviously if there is a plan that's being developed and formulated, that's not something that's ever discussed ahead of time. But if there is an extremely stretch of road, which I know one or two that there is ongoing military planning for right now, that is addressed very closely in coordination with Iraqi security forces. They take those additional steps.
Ultimately, everybody wants a safe and secure Iraq. I mean, that's exactly what the vast majority of Iraqi people want, and that's exactly what the security forces, the Iraqi security forces and the coalition forces are working diligently to achieve. And there are those forces, the extremist elements, that exist out there that would want nothing more than to disrupt that entire process to discredit this government. You see it when they go out and they conduct these kidnappings you've heard about wearing some kind of uniform that is representative of what this government has established to provide security for its own people. So it is a challenge, and this is something they work out all the time.
But the specific area you're talking about, I'd have to go back and look with you. I don't have the details right off hand.
Q Will we expect positive steps on the highway security?
GEN. CALDWELL: I mean, I've heard different discussions even by the government of Iraq. You know, they talked about that contract; they are working out in the west on those two highways you talked about first. I'm not sure where the government of Iraqi is on that whole process right now. I'm aware that those discussions have been going on. I think they have a plan for that that I should probably let them discuss versus me trying to talk what I've heard from other government of Iraq officials. But that's probably something I should leave for them to address specifically. Yeah, Solomon.
Q Hi. Solomon Moore, Los Angeles Times. We had that mass kidnapping last week at the Ministry of Higher Education Agency, and I just wanted to know why there was such a variance in the numbers of people taken, whether the U.S. has any idea how many people were taken, what the purpose of that attack was, whether there's been any additional action taken against Ministry of Interior officials or whether we think that police were in fact involved there -- anything you can say to clear up that situation.
GEN. CALDWELL: Well, Soloman, obviously, the government of Iraq has been dealing with this specifically. We have been supporting them with a lot of military assets and intelligence collection assets, but that's probably something I should let them specifically talk about. There is a wide variance, you're right, in the reporting that occurred out there, and everybody still is trying to get the exact numbers put together, but I really should refer back to the government of Iraq on that one since they are the ones who've had the lead and have been responsible for that operation.
Q Follow up?
GEN. CALDWELL: Yeah.
Q So what is your criteria in figuring out which cases you're going to get involved with and which you won't, because I know with the mass kidnapping from the meat processing plant, with the 8th Brigade, the U.S. was very involved in that one. And it seems like this would be a similar situation.
GEN. CALDWELL: We always go to the government of Iraq and offer to provide direct military support or military assets. And then, as they so determine what they would like us to provide to assist them in that operation, we do that. And in this case, they took the lead. We've been providing some aerial assets for collection, we're providing some intelligence assets. We have helped set up some checkpoints and roadblocks. So it's really done in coordination with them, just like the kidnapping down in the south that occurred. We immediately dispatched helicopter support, air assets, a ground Quick Reaction Force and some other things at the request to assist with that down there. And so we did do that. And so really, it's in direct consultation with the government of Iraq on each of these significant events that occur like that as to what level of support. If it's an area that clearly is -- where we still have the lead, we, the coalition forces, then we take the lead and we appropriately respond and execute.
Yes, sir?
Q Hi, Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post. I have a general question as well. Since the beginning of the war, propaganda has been a tool used by insurgents, as we all know. I'm just curious to get your thoughts on how those tactics have changed as we're in the fourth year of war. Are they pretty much the same? Have they evolved? Have they become more sophisticated? If you can talk a bit about that, I'd appreciate it.
GEN. CALDWELL: Boy, I'd have to go back and look from the very beginning. I can tell you the overall assessment today is we do watch that very carefully, we track that to discern whether or not we think that information we're hearing or reading on particular websites, or some other place, are in fact propaganda or somewhat factually based. We see an increase and decrease on a weekly basis in the amount of information that is put out by them. The one thing that always comes across, though, that is very challenging is the fact that they do not have to prove anything. These extremist elements can literally go out, say what they want, post what they want. They have absolutely no responsibility to the press or anybody else to come back an clarify it, to validate it, to justify it, to be held accountable to it. Whereas in fact, you know, the exact opposite for us -- and rightfully so; that's the way it should be. But on their respects, they don't have any of those accountability responsibilities so they're able to just say what they want and put out what they want. And we, in fact, see that occurring. Q And how is that affecting your -- the operations today? I mean, is that forcing you, the military, to change its own tactics as well in dealing with this?
GEN. CALDWELL: To give you a simple example, if in fact we've conducted a -- when we conduct an operation that may go down in the early morning hours and there were any civilian casualties associated with it, we do very quickly try to put out, as rapid as we can, both to the press and to the senior government officials of Iraq, exactly what occurred, when it occurred, what the circumstances were so they have the factual information so that if, in fact, somebody then comes by later and says -- exaggerates the figures and paints it in a different manner, they've at least heard factually what did occur on the ground versus what somebody might like to try to make a story out of it that did not actually take place.
So there is those kind of activities that we're very aware of and respond to very rapidly when we think that they'll try to take something that occurred and make a propaganda tool out of it.
Yes, ma'am?
Q Hi. Jamie Tarabay from National Public Radio. I have two questions. The first one just on the mass kidnappings. At least two of the big ones that happened in the last week were conducted by men dressed in police uniforms. And yesterday we had a group of men dressed as police go into the deputy Health minister's house and take him away. Are the people of Baghdad, at least, if not the rest of the country, supposed to have any confidence in their police if they at least appear to be responsible for a lot of these kidnappings, at least in the last week? I mean we've had major, major kidnappings.
And my second question is the question that I always ask you about --
GEN. CALDWELL: About the figures.
Q -- that's right, and the demographics, and their political affiliation and their backgrounds and all that stuff. Thank you.
GEN. CALDWELL: I'll take the first one first. That's exactly what these extremist elements are trying to create; they are trying, in fact, to take the very thing that this government is trying to establish as the representative element that's going to provide the security for its people and to take and show it in a different light. So they'll try to get these police uniforms, put them on and masquerade as police, when it's the very thing that's trying to bring back security and stability for this country. So that's a tool that they're using trying to discredit this government. And we are seeing that, as you said, in multiple incidents this very week. And it's just something we have to work very diligently and hard with the Iraqi government, their security forces, to combat that.
Obviously, everybody's looking at that very closely. We're going to monitor it very closely, and there are some different steps that are being implemented at this point to try to address that. The key will be trying to find and locate those who were the perpetrators of these last two or three abductions, to figure out to whom did they belong, what element might they have been associated with so that we can deal with the larger picture, too, and not just those individuals themselves.
Q Have you gone into the Interior Ministry at all to see if any those people might be in, you know, in the ministry, within its ranks?
GEN. CALDWELL: Now, we talked about it earlier. I mean, there's no question that we -- there's a(n) ongoing effort still by Minister of Interior Balani to go through his ranks in a systematic way of looking at and identifying those who are not operating with an allegiance toward this country but in fact have allegiances elsewhere and have their own separate agendas that they're trying to use, the offices of which they represent in a(n) inappropriate manner.
Q And my second question.
GEN. CALDWELL: Yeah. We've gone back through, we looked at the data, but there is no one database that we can go in and pull that information from. And so we don't have a direct correlation that goes from the time the operation occurred all the way to the CCCI element.
As far as the sex go of the personnel picked up, I mean, we're not going to release that only because, although we have that information, it's only from what those people have told us or we could ascertain based on identification cards or other sources had said about them. But it's -- we have no definable way to say that that in fact is 100 percent correct, so we could be putting out information that's not entirely correct.
Q Yeah, but what about demographics? Like, if they -- you know, have they been taken from Sadr City, you know, or other neighborhoods in Baghdad? I mean, if you can't give me, you know, that information, at least give me at least where you found these guys.
GEN. CALDWELL: Well, every week we identify exactly where we found them. I mean, that's -- we'll be glad -- I mean, that's not something we've ever tried. We don't go down to the specific street address, but we'll give you a fairly good location where they were picked up. I mean, that's something we do make available every week.
Sabrina?
Q Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times. General, what's the status of the Security Council resolution that's the legal basis for the MNF-I to be in Iraq? I know there have been some discussions between the Iraqi government and the embassy and the MNF-I about it. What's the status of those? Because the deadline, I guess, is the 31st. Has it already gone? Is it done? Is it over? Are they -- are you still kind of quibbling about conditions? And what happens to the coalition country armies if it's not passed by the 31st?
GEN. CALDWELL: Obviously, Sabrina, there's been a lot of ongoing dialogue and discussion, there's been -- that occurs. As late as last night, there was still discussion between the charge d'affaires, the prime minister and General Casey even internal to the country here, with dialogue going on back with the U.S. government.
I probably should let the Department of State specifically answer that one. That's really more in their realm. But I can tell you that the discussions are going along fine. I mean, there's no reason at this point to assume that there will not be a -- from everything the government of Iraq is telling us, that they seem very comfortable with the progress that's being made and the adjustments that have been made in the final resolution that will go forward. But I really probably need to let the U.S. government -- U.S. Mission Iraq take that one on and answer that for you.
Q Can I just ask one follow-up? If -- can you answer the question of whether -- what it is that the Iraqis want that you guys aren't quite willing to give?
GEN. CALDWELL: Well, you know, I -- what I will tell you is that obviously it's going to be a mutually agreed-upon document, with the government of Iraq having final say. But one of the key things that came out of these discussions was their request to accelerate, and it's not that that was a precondition they made for anything. It just -- that came out of these discussions. They wanted to accelerate the pace at which the government of Iraq was going to assume greater responsibility and authority for both its provinces and its security forces. And so we of course have started the process to accelerate that. I think we'll see the prime minister announce here in the next couple days the next province that's going to go to provincial Iraqi control. We'll see in the next week or two another Iraqi army division go under Iraqi ground forces command, making it the third of 10, with others following at a much more accelerated pace than perhaps had originally been envisioned just two months ago.
Yes, sir?
Q Patrick Fort, AFP. Two questions on Syria, since the foreign minister's here. Are you still having news that foreign fighters are coming in through the border? And then the second question is, he said yesterday that if there was a calendar for withdrawal of American troops, that the violence would decrease. So what do you think of those two points?
GEN. CALDWELL: Now, we still do foreign fighters coming across the Syrian border. And we stated before that it's somewhere between 50 to 70 a month is what we estimate that are making it across the border and into Iraq and able to participate in operations here in the country. That has not ceased as of, you know, our data the last couple weeks. We have not seen -- and again, it's not that we're saying the government of Iraq is assisting or in that -- I mean Syria -- with that effort, but you know, we don't know how much they have tried to preclude it from happening, though, either.
So I know that the government of Iraq is talking with Syria. Specifically this is one of the things I know they're addressing with them, is what steps or measures the Syrian government may be able to take, from the -- at the airport location, where they might come in through, to other activities they could do, to help stem that flow of foreign fighters from coming into Iraq to begin with, you know, stopping at the inception, turning them back to go back to their own countries, versus allowing to come in.
I mean, I think we've talked before -- I think I have some of that data here -- about the foreign fighters. But, you know, there is a large number that come in from other countries. You know, the latest count right now, so far this year, Iraqi security forces and coalition forces have killed more than 425 foreign fighters here in Iraq. Through November 10th of this year, we've captured right at about 670. We know that they've primarily come from Syria, which is the -- when you look at the population of those who are currently detained, over 20 percent came out of Syria; over 20 percent came out of Egypt. Those are the two largest places where the number of foreign fighters have made their way from; they're at least of that nationality. And then about 13 percent out of Sudan, and about 12 percent out of Saudi Arabia. Those are the four largest nations -- of the group that we have in captivity, the nations they come from.
STAFF: Sir, we've got time for about one more question.
GEN. CALDWELL: And then your question about --
Q Calendar.
GEN. CALDWELL: Yeah. You're asking about the comment by the --
Q Yeah, by the Syrian minister.
GEN. CALDWELL: About --
Q He said that if you guys established a calendar of withdrawing American troops from Iraq, violence would probably decrease.
GEN. CALDWELL: Right. And it's like -- you know, we've stated it from the very beginning. This is all conditions-based. And as the Iraq security forces develop that capability to assume those responsibilities and can provided for the security for their people, obviously the coalition forces' presence will be reduced. And we obviously stay in close consultation with the government of Iraq on this. You know, we're here as guests of the government of Iraq. The prime minister of this country makes those decisions. But our forces are here and available.
What I find -- and, I mean, I'll give you a perfect example. When I was out in Fallujah last week and I'm sitting there talking to the police chief, sitting down with him in his office, I mean here he is talking to us and he said -- you know, he said, "General, had you come here a year ago, I would have said I don't want you in my city. But now I want you. I don't want you to stay forever, but I need you right now."
And so there's the recognition, you know, by him -- as I'll just use him as an example where he said, you know, I want you to stay right now, I don't want you to leave, but I don't want you to stay forever. I mean, there's that acknowledgment that there is a need right now in their minds for additional security, and that the coalition forces can help provide for them as they develop their forces or capabilities and exert their influence and, obviously, continue to take down, especially out there in the West, the al Qaeda elements.
Yeah, Michael?
Q Thanks. Just quickly on that Fallujah point, while you raised it, I mean isn't it true that at that council meeting you attended, the mayor himself said that the greatest problem is the central government, the fact that they're not cooperating with the provincial government, they haven't paid police salaries for three months, they cut off sugar supplies, they've sent Shi'a army units out there.
Didn't he specifically refer to that? Isn't that their greatest fear right now, that that's why they want you to stay to protect them against their own government?
GEN. CALDWELL: What I will tell you -- what I heard from the mayor there and the provincial council chair who were there, we talked a lot about the people issues. We talked about traffic control. We talked about the number -- you know, they have six checkpoints around the city, and he's concerned about the wait that people have to go through. He wants to know how we could expedite the flow of those. I mean, when you've sat there and listened to it, it was a true democracy in action. It was like listening to a city council back in the United States of America. I mean, it was real people issues that they were dealing with.
In the off-line discussions is where he expressed the concern and asked for assistance in helping work with the government of Iraq, and we said: Absolutely. We would love to help facilitate that, because the dialogue is so important. That whole -- it falls under the rubric of reconciliation is critical, and they do need to have a conduit. I mean, this is a brand new government. You know, the city council, the mayor didn't exist really 18 months ago, and they do now, they're in charge. There are a lot of coalition force-sponsored projects that are ongoing, and that council has helped form and made the decision which projects they want to have done, in what order, with the funds that are available.
But they also need to establish that conduit into the government back in Baghdad, and that's one of the things that, you know, with Governor Mamoon (ph) out there in the province, that, you know, at least once or twice a week we're trying to help facilitate his movement back here so he can deal back with the central government. But the prime minister is committed to -- we've heard the Minister Ja'afar (ph) talk about the money that they're going to release out to there, $37 million. and that's very, very important. We know that some money was released two weeks ago. I mean -- and that's part of that whole system starting to take hold and develop, and it's going to take time and there are going to be a lot of challenges. It's not going to be a smooth process.
And it is frustrating when you come from a Western-style democracy -- where those systems work fairly well, and there's a banking system -- to when you walk into a town like Fallujah that, you know, 15 months ago barely existed and today is trying to get back on the ground and get moving. So it's going to take time. But yes, that's one of the things they see us is being an interlocutor and helping with that, helping facilitate that whole process of local government and working with the governor, working with the central government.
Q Okay. And my actual question was, I think, a rather simplistic one. Given the enormity of the strategic reassessments going on in D.C. at the moment -- replacing of the secretary, the -- you know, the changes in Congress -- it's a period of strategic uncertainty right now. I mean, in what way, if any, does that affect operations on the ground, focus on the ground? I mean, plans are changing, strategy is changing. Do you just stay with last known orders? I mean, how does affect in any way what goes on here?
GEN. CALDWELL: Well, the key thing and the central thing we know is the president of the United States said, "I'm committed for the people of Iraq and for the government of Iraq." And so what is is our overarching guidance -- that he's committed and he's staying with them. That tells us where we're going. Internally, obviously, we continue -- I mean, we -- Michael, ever since I've been here, General Casey puts us through all kinds of drills of looking at what we're doing.
Is it the right way? Do we have the forces in the right place? Should we increase or decrease? Should we move them around? I mean, that's been an ongoing thing that he always challenged us, as his staff, to go out and assess.
So it's not like there's something -- a lot of people in Washington may be doing it for the first time, but I can tell you, for the last seven months I've been here, General Casey has been -- does it with us on a routine basis. And in a very deliberate fashion we do it every quarter with the U.S. mission, where we bring all the mission and us together, and we spend many, many hours in the preparation for this session, and then we have a session where we sit down and literally review the entire campaign plan, each of our strategic objectives, and we ask ourselves how are we doing with each one. And from that, we develop a follow-on action plan to go back and further address them. And so that's to make sure that the mission and the coalition force, the Multinational Force, are working as one team.
So for us, we're continuing on. We heard the president say he's committed. But I can tell you General Casey, just as he always done, is working us very hard and looking at each of the means and methods and the techniques and the procedures and the allocation of forces and how they're employed. And we'll, you know, continue what we're doing and having these kind of discussions with him.
Okay. Thank you very much.
END.
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